Dr. Chris Kennedy
Senior Economist at the U.S. Department of State
Energy and natural resources are a core focus of the Trump Administration’s national security agenda. From the disruptions to European energy that followed Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, to China’s weaponization of dependencies on critical minerals essential to defense and advanced manufacturing, to the projected massive expansion in energy demand accompanying the AI revolution, it is impossible to separate our core geopolitical interests from our ability to secure and develop energy and mineral resources.
Dr. Kennedy will discuss how the Trump Administration is prioritizing natural resources, including through recent Executive orders; the tools of economic statecraft available to project American energy leadership abroad and respond to intentional disruptions by foreign adversaries; and the challenge of reconciling energy and industrial policy with global market realities.
