A "Transforming Energy" Lecture by James L. Connaughton
April 27, 2012

Abstract

The Honorable James L. Connaughton, former Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and current Executive Vice President and Senior Policy Advisor of Exelon Corporation, will discuss how the powerful combination of expanded competition and customer choice, IT integration, and smarter government policy will drive greater innovation, better pricing, and significantly accelerated environmental improvement in our energy system in the U.S. and globally. Mr. Connaughton will also discuss what is
working and not working in both the marketplace and political arenas toward achieving that outcome.

Biography

James L. Connaughton directs Constellation Energy’s environmental and energy policy matters, as well as public and government affairs. Prior to joining Constellation Energy in 2009, Mr. Connaughton served as chairman, White House Council on Environmental Quality from 2000-2009. In this capacity, he served on President Bush’s senior staff as senior environment, energy, and natural resources advisor, and as director of the White House Office of Environmental Policy.

Internationally, he helped establish a broad series of technology initiatives, the public-private Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate Change, and the Major Economies Leaders Meetings on Energy and Climate, in which Mr. Connaughton served as the president’s personal representative. He also played a leading role in other major initiatives that included new air quality standards, major reductions in air pollutionfrom a variety of stationary and mobile sources, plus several other significant conservation, preservation, and restoration initiatives. Prior to his public service, Mr. Connaughton was a partner in the environmental practice group at the law firm Sidley Austin, where he played a leading role in the development and implementation of the ISO 14000 series of international environmental management and performance standards.

Mr. Connaughton is a member of the Board of Directors of CENT (a nuclear energy joint venture) and a member of the Board of Governors of the Argonne National Laboratory. He is also on the Board of Directors of the National Aquarium Institute and a Trustee of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. A native of Maryland, he is a graduate of Yale University and graduated second in his class, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, from the Northwestern University School of Law. In 2008, Northwestern University honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award.