So. It is, time. For our, lifetime, achievement. Award and. And. I, wanted. To thank Laura. So much it's great to have additional perspectives. I like the question and answer particularly, thank. You so much so, for the lifetime achievement award this. Year we have something, a little bit different we, have. Co. Award. Winners, and so, we have some Co presenters. And I, get to introduce. Both. Of our presenters and so we don't do too much up and down up and down kind, of stuff I will introduce. Both of the, women first, and I, will, let. Sydney. Introduce. The. Actual. Award winner so I won't steal her thunder we'll. Concentrate first, just, a moment on our on. Our. Presenters. So, I will, introduce. Two. Women that I know, well, and. Respect. A lot sydney. McNiff. Johnson is a senior. Advisor in Denton's. Global, energy practice. A law practice and she, likes to say a lot that she's not a lawyer and, I. Think. I said earlier you don't have to be a lawyer to make rain so that she does that. Sydney. Advises. Clients on domestic, and international energy, environmental. And government, solutions, and she's, got a particular, focus on bringing new, energy technologies. To market. Sydney. Was. Also appointed, by, the interior, secretary to, a six year term on the. Board of directors to the National, Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and. She, also serves on the boards, of a Corps and the. Women's, Council on, energy, and environment. Sydney's, also an active, member on the US nuclear, infrastructure. Council which she helped co-found in, 2002. And I think that's an important, reminder, to, us that. Our, Clean. Energy Initiative. Includes. Nuclear. As well as a number of the other energies, that we often, talk about we have a very broad clean, energy definition. And. Melanie. Kenderdine. Melanie. Is currently, the, principal of energy, futures, initiative, and, a non-resident. Senior fellow at the Atlantic, Council which, is a Washington, think tank.
But. Before, that Melanie. Served at the Department, of Energy from. 2013. To 2017, as, both. The energy, counselor to, secretary, Moniz who we heard from yesterday, as well, as the director, of the, do E's office of energy policy and systems analysis, which, she set up and where. She was my boss and mentor as well, as. Spending. A fair amount of time, assembling. A fabulous. Team of analysts. Many of which were, women. In energy. And. Prior, to her. Service at DOA she helped establish the MIT, Institute. She. Energy, initiative where, she served as executive director. And. With. That I am, going to hand. Over to, Sydney. To, do a brief, introduction, we, will have some virtual. Feedback. From our awardees, which, you will understand, better after. Sydney goes. Well. Thank you so very much Carol, and. I'd. Like to thank everybody for attending here, today. Got. A lot of rock star women in this room and and one, of them is Martha, Martha. Broad and her team here at MIT have really. Just done such a fabulous job and I think we should all give her a round, of applause. So. I'll sort of the Department of Energy's team Carol and your your, team and everyone here is here from Stanford. Seven. Miles from my hometown it's, just great to be here so thank you so very much. So. It's um it's an honor and. A and, it's really a privilege to, introduce. One. Of our we. Have a co recipient, a team. Of two women this year for the lifetime achievement and, Melanie, will be introducing, our second awardee, so let, her be secret. For a moment, but our. First, co recipient, is a dear friend of mine for over 30 years I'm I'm, blessed, and honored to consider her a friend. Unfortunately, these two remarkable. Women are not here today hint. They're on Capitol Hill and. Because. They're busy actually doing our nation's, energy, work and we've. Talked a lot here today about bravery and. Senator. Lisa Murkowski I. Think, exemplifies. Bravery. And courage. To a whole new level that many. Of us hopefully. Will, aspire towards, Senator. Murkowski is the. First, Alaskan. Born senator in fact she was born in Alaska in 1957. And Alaska. Became a state in 1959, so.
How's That for being. The first person born and the first woman, senator from the state of Alaska which, is so cool. Some. Of you may or may not know that I've spent about 8. 10 years of my life in Alaska so, it's. An, extraordinarily, remarkable. Place it's a huge, vast place, it's it's, you. Know I, always, like to say that Alaska, was taken, and stretched this way this, way and then that way and. You. Know all the resources energy. Fish. Everything, in the world it's all there on an. Unremarkable scale, so it's it's an extraordinary place if you haven't been so. Senator. Murkowski, is the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is most. Of you know which is a marvelous. Thing for. Not only women but America's, energy and America's energy resources. She, also serves, as the head of the Interior, and environment. Appropriations. Subcommittee. So, here we have not, only a super powerful woman who's from a state that has all of these resources but, those resources, are both energy and the environment and I. Think that's what's critical to us as we look towards the clean energy future we have to be mindful of both of those and. Senator. Murkowski embodies, both of those and. I've. Spent a tremendous amount of time with her in the great outdoors fishing. Skiing and doing different things and. She. Out fishes all the guys and I'm. Really proud of her, so. She. Does strike, a balance in, her state watching, that. Over. The years the EPA and, at, times has maybe, gone a little farther than maybe she thought that would be appropriate, and I think she's been brave to. Stand up to them and she's. Also also. Very concerned that the economic, concerns of her state and the environmental, concerns are looked. At at the same time so. I commend, her to all of you for her bravery her, courage her lifetime. Achievement, of of, being. In the Senate as long as she has and the, great work that she's done and, now. To, give the spoiler. She. Works across the aisle with our other co-recipient, too Melanie, will introduce, so let's, give a round, of applause first for Senator Murkowski to the inspiration, she is to all of us and I. Hope you all get to meet her. Thanks. So much Sydney, the and. I wanted, to say jeez another, thank you to Martha.
And. To Carol. The. Lee. Bob. Armstrong. All the ambassador's, that are here today that we, worked very closely together, for many years now and, it's. Really a lot of dear friends in the room, former. Staff people, from both do-e and mighty. That. That I'm very excited to see I wanted. To give a call out to Debbie, Katie Ann out there as well, Debbie. Has, been organizing, this all out front when she saw me walk out after lunch, she said I know you you, want sweets, right and, she went to get me a cupcake in the kitchen. So. But. Debbie's done a great job and. Thanks. To her. Sydnee, a, bee we introduced, senator Murkowski. And I'm here to present the award to senator, Cantwell the. Other Co awardee. I. Would. Like to say that I have been in and out of Washington, for. 35, years and. And. We, were talking in our ambassador, deliberations. And I, said. Never. In my lifetime in, the last 35, years did, I think that I would see, two. Women as the, chair and ranking member. Of the Senate Energy Committee I think it is a spectacular. Thing, I. They. They work very closely, together, they. Don't always agree they're having a disagreement, on Anwar, but that they agree, on many many issues, energy. Efficiency, most. Importantly, climate, change and. And. And. I appreciate. Sidney's, remarks, about Senator, Murkowski and her bravery on climate change. And. Senator. Cantwell, is a stalwart. Too strong supporter. Efforts. To to. Mitigate, climate change. She, has Abele, represented, the state of Washington, in the US Senate since 2000. Which, means she's won three statewide, elections, in Washington, state ranking. Member on the Energy, Committee but also Commerce, science transportation. Finance. Indian. Affairs and small, business and entrepreneurship. So. So. She is representing. Women on those committees, as well which i think is terrific. The. She's. Been a Senate leader on biofuels, research. Exam. Expanding. Clean energy tax incentives. Successful. Legislation, to modernize our, grid and advancing. Ocean, acidification, science. She's. Also worked on cleaning. Up Hanford, Hanford. Is a do a site that is one of the most polluted sites. On the planet. Where. We did a lot of. Put. A lot of nuclear waste when we were developing our nuclear. Weapons capability. And she's. Been a tireless, advocate. For, cleanup of Hanford. She. Worked very closely with secretary Moniz, when. We were at the department, and. They worked as. As secretary, Moniz worked with. Senator. Murkowski as well I believe she, was quoted in, Politico.
Or One of the newspapers, saying I just love secretary, Moniz. Senator. Senator Murkowski, was. And. One, of my favorite, things about Senator. Cantwell, is. Our. Office at do II did two quadrennial, energy review and. Senator. Cantwell, did a dramatic, reading, of the Q er on the floor of the Senate, and, so we. We walked by the Secretary's, office one evening as she was weeding, the key we are on the, floor of the Senate and. And. One, other thing that I would say about Senator Cantwell, and. And. We're going to see a video I, think from Senator Murkowski I'm going to read something from Senator, mecan't. Well and. And a, dear, friend of, mine and, person, I work closely with on, the hill, Angela, Becker Dittmann. Was. My. Kin my contact, on Senate, Energy for, Senator Cantwell's. Office. Angela. Is leaving, and she. Is being replaced, by ml Wagner, another, dear friend of mine one. Thing I would say so, so we're they're caught in the transition, that's why I think they haven't had. Done. Of video and I, did call up ml when I found out that, Senator. That. She was going to be taking over for Angela, and and. Was. Kind of embarrassed, that I called her up and actually needed, something, before she had even started. But. But. The one thing I would say about that transition, is she. Is transitioning. From one powerful. Woman staff, person, to another, one and and. So senator Cantwell I appears, to me to be very mindful, of that in, in. Her selection, for. Her committee staff so so. Senator, Cantwell is the other woman. Recipient. Here and we're going to hear a little watch. A video from Senator. Murkowski and then I'll read a few words. From Senator Cantwell thank you. Hello. To all of you attending. The c3e. Women. In clean energy symposium. I'm, Lisa Murkowski from, the Great and beautiful, state of Alaska, I am, sorry that I'm not able to celebrate with you this evening but I'm grateful to be honored as a co recipient. Of your, lifetime, achievement, award. Receiving. This award along, with my ranking member on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, senator. Maria Cantwell of Washington, is special. We've. Let our committee together for, nearly three years now and we're, making significant. Progress on, a range of policies, that promote innovation. Efficiency. And renewable, energy I, also. Want, to commend your focus on making sure that women, are involved, in STEM fields and, clean energy because. Those are areas where we've, got our work cut out for us as many. Of you know the National Science Foundation, found that women represent, just 28%, of the, science and engineering workforce, and that. Is simply not good enough now. I also, work. In a field that has been traditionally dominated, by.
Men The. Senate is at an all-time high of 21, percent believe. Me we, have some room to add to our ranks here as well, we. All recognize, these, women bring, a different perspective to, problem, solving and so it's, imperative, whether in your fields, or mine, if we want to find the best and most innovative solutions. To our biggest challenges, the, female perspective, must, be present and active at, the decision table. In. Leading the energy Natural Resources Committee senator Cantwell and I we, work well together we, don't always agree, on, everything but, we, always, try, to do our best to work together and, to achieve real results for. The people that we serve. Since. We assumed our roles at the head of the committee in 2015, we've, been able to move forward on a wide range of energy policies, this. Year we introduced, a new and, improved version of, our broad bipartisan. Energy bill this is s 1460. We, now call it the energy and natural resources, Act our bill, will reel much, of the office of science at do II keep. Programs, like our PE and continue. To promote the fuels and technologies that. We need to make our energy cleaner, and cleaner, by, the year, we're. Ready to pass this bill I would, ask that you add your voices, in support of it it's. Been a decade since we passed a major energy bill our. Effort, is important, not, just for our environment but also for, our economic and, our national, security so, thank you for your help in this I hope. You all have a wonderful evening there, in Cambridge thank you again for, this award and the recognition but. Thank you also for being role models for young women and inspiring, them to work in STEM and clean energy thanks, for all you do take care. So. I'm now, I'm going to read Senator. Cantwell's, remarks, I did forget. To. Thank. Justin. He's. The one taking photos, all the time, if. If I look fat or old in any of them I'm gonna come after you okay so. Don't. Don't print it all right anyway somebody. Else that I've known here for, a long time at MIT. Here's Senator, Cantwell's remarks, I'm, honored, to be receiving this Lifetime, Achievement Award. And sorry I'm unable to join you all to accept it in person I would, like to thank Stanford, MIT and, the, Department, of Energy for the recognition. Okay. This is the weird part Thank You Melanie Kenderdine okay. And Sidney McNiff Johnson, for, your introductions. I know, I'm in good company with, the other women who are receiving Awards today for their leadership and clean energy and it, would who have received this honor in the past this. Award is especially meaningful because, c3e. Is devoted, to empowering, and educating women. In energy, focusing. On encouraging, women to pursue careers, in the energy field and, recognizes.
Women's Accomplishments. In clean energy and promoting, their leadership, while. Women have made progress in the energy, distri they remain, disproportionately. Underrepresented, in, the field when. I deviate, for a second I was an event with Paula the other day in San Antonio and, I counted, the number of women and men at the table there were 11 women 14. Men it was aver it was one of the best ratios, I've ever seen. Yes. They, make up substantially, less than half of the workforce across, the energy sector and continue. To be underrepresented in. Key leadership positions. Women. Are essential to filling this growing demand and their leadership and participation, will. Support the expansion of the clean energy sector and drive. Economic. Growth even. Despite the growing number of women educated, in new technologies, and science that, remains a glass ceiling to, their career, advancement. Today's. Event is focused, on the people who are enabling, the clean energy transition. You. All know that we can't afford to, replace aging infrastructure. With anything, but smart infrastructure, our, electric. Grid energy, pipelines. And energy infrastructure, all need to incorporate new smart, technology. So, that our communities, operate more efficiently, create. Economic opportunities. Reduce, pollution and improve, health. And quality of life this. Is a huge economic. Opportunity. That women should be part of I want. To close by thanking all of you for your commitment to c3e. And continually. Working to promote women in energy. Gender equity in the energy field I am. Proud to work alongside you, as we continue to celebrate the women who are making incredible. Achievements, in clean energy thank, you very much.
2018-01-06