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Decarbonization Dialogue
The Decarbonization Dialogue, led by Keystone Policy Center and Great Plains Institute, convened experts from different sectors to develop recommendations for near-term federal policies to drive economy-wide and equitable decarbonization. The recommendations were developed by stakeholders with diverse interests and reflect months of dialogue between and among sector-specific working groups. They were publicly launched in February 2021.
The Decarbonization Dialogue was designed to provide a bipartisan, collaborative set of recommendations that could quickly inform debate around climate and decarbonization action regardless of which party was in the majority and who was in the White House. Dialogue participants were organized into three working groups focused on power, transportation, and agriculture. While they are organized by sector, the recommendations reflect many months of cross-sector dialogue. They cover the following areas:
- Cross-Cutting Recommendations
- While there are many areas of overlapping interest among the power, transportation, and agriculture recommendations, some cut across all sectors and would provide the foundation for the others.
- Power Recommendations
- These recommendations facilitate access to reliable, low cost, clean electricity across the entire country.
- Transportation Recommendations
- These recommendations aim to decrease emissions from the transportation sector today while planning for and investing in the transportation technology, systems, and infrastructure needed for the future.
- Agriculture Recommendations
- These recommendations call attention to opportunities for agricultural producers to advance decarbonization, especially where such opportunities present voluntary solutions for farm owners/operators and are shared with the power and/or transportation sectors.
The climate crisis presents significant risk for each of the sectors addressed in the Decarbonization Dialogue, along with the economy as a whole. We need only look to the February 2021 winter storm in Texas, 2020 California wildfires, or the 2019 Mississippi floods to demonstrate the acuteness of climate risks for both American families and our power, transportation, and agriculture systems. Ongoing decarbonization policy must consider adaptation, risk, and resiliency alongside mitigation. Whether focused on core principles and general considerations or specific policy ideas, the recommendations of the Dialogue offer substantive guidance, supported by bipartisan and diverse interests, that decision-makers can act on today. The supporting report provides background on the Dialogue’s recommendations, including information on scope, process, participants, and the nature of the discussions that generated the final recommendations. It also identifies issues that merit further dialogue and collaboration.
Carbon Bank Task Force
On April 27, 2021, a subgroup of the Decarbonization Dialogue called the Carbon Bank Task Force, submitted recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create a carbon bank that would provide incentive for farmers, ranchers, and foresters to reduce atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping gases. The Taskforce submitted the recommendations in response to a USDA request seeking public input on the agency’s climate strategy following an executive order from President Joe Biden on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Read the cover letter and recommendations here.
Listen
The Decarbonization Dialogue was featured in an episode of the podcast Keynotes: Stories of Collective Impact.
Dialogue Participants
- Dan Delurey, Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate, Vermont Law School
- Paul Doucette, Energy Transition Executive, Baker Hughes
- Shelley Fidler, Principal, Governmental Affairs, Energy and Environmental Policy, Van Ness Feldman
- Paula Gold-Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer, CPS Energy
- Rob Gramlich, President, Grid Strategies LLC and Executive Director, Americans for a Clean Energy Grid
- Tom Hassenboehler, Partner, The Coefficient Group
- Karl Hausker, Senior Fellow, World Resources Institute
- Mitch Jackson, Vice President, Environmental Affairs & Chief Sustainability Officer, FedEx
- Bruce Knight, Principal and Founder, Strategic Conservation Solutions
- Anjali Marok, Global Sustainability Strategy and Analysis Leader, and Sara Hopper, Manager, Government Affairs, Corteva Agriscience
- Clay Nesler, Vice President, Global Sustainability and Industry Initiatives for the Building Technologies and Solutions, Johnson Controls
- Willie Phillips, Chair, Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia
- Lynn Scarlett, Chief External Affairs Officer, The Nature Conservancy
- Phil Sharp, Former Member of Congress
- Sue Tierney, Senior Advisor, Analysis Group
- Laura Vaught, Federal Affairs Policy Director, Dominion Energy
- Sarah Venuto, Vice President, Public Policy, Duke Energy
- Clint Vince, Chair, Global Energy Practice, Dentons US LLP
Power Working Group
- Dan Delurey, Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate, Vermont Law School
- Paula Gold-Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer, CPS Energy
- Rob Gramlich, President, Grid Strategies LLC and Executive Director, Americans for a Clean Energy Grid
- Tom Hassenboehler, Partner, The Coefficient Group
- Willie Phillips, Chair, Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia
- Rich Powell, Executive Director, ClearPath
- William Sauer, Federal Regulatory Affairs Director and Sarah Venuto, Vice President, Public Policy, Duke Energy
- Phil Sharp, Former Member of Congress
- Laura Vaught, Federal Affairs Policy Director, Dominion Energy
Transportation Working Group
- Sarah Adair, Clean Technology Policy Director, Duke Energy
- Shailen Bhatt, President and Chief Executive Officer and Laura Chace, Chief Operating Officer, Intelligent Transportation Society of America
- Sue Gander, Managing Director, EV Policy, Electrification Coalition
- Mitch Jackson, Vice President, Environmental Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, FedEx
- Chelsea Jenkins, Vice President, Government and Industry Relations, John Thomson, Director, Product Development and Emissions Compliance, and Natalia Swalnick, Director of Government Affairs, Roush CleanTech
- Andrew Kambour, Senior Policy Advisor for Energy, The Nature Conservancy
- Ryan Lamberg, Principal, Tied Branch Consultants
- Tom Van Heeke, Policy Lead, Mobility and Climate Change, General Motors
Agriculture Working Group
- Dan Blaustein-Rejto, Director of Food and Agriculture, The Breakthrough Institute
- Jenny Conner Nelms, Senior Policy Advisor for Agriculture, The Nature Conservancy
- Aldyen Donnelly, Director of Carbon Economics, Nori
- Allen Dusault, Director of Research and Development, Franklin Energy
- Bruce Knight, Principal and Founder, Strategic Conservation Solutions, Strategic Conservation Solutions
- Ryan Lamberg, Principal, Tied Branch Consultants
- Anjali Marok, Global Sustainability Strategy and Analysis Leader, Corteva Agriscience
- Marty Matlock, Executive Director, University of Arkansas, Resiliency Center
- Robert Parkhurst, Consultant, Sierra View Consulting
- Allison Thomson, Vice President, Science and Research, Field to Market
- Aliza Wasserman-Drewes, Director, Rural Investment to Protect our Environment
Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, became the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack is focusing on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.
Shelby Coffey III is a distinguished journalist, media executive, and thought leader whose career has helped shape the landscape of American news and public discourse. Over several decades, Coffey has held some of the most influential roles in journalism, including serving as editor of the Los Angeles Times, executive vice president of ABC News, and deputy managing editor of The Washington Post. His editorial leadership extended to key roles as president of CNN Financial News, editor of the Dallas Times Herald, and U.S. News & World Report.
Jerry Steiner has spent 40 years involved in agriculture following growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm. He began his career with Monsanto, in multiple business leadership roles. From 2003-2013 he served as a member of the Executive team, as the company’s Executive Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs. He led the company’s global Government, Public and Industry Affairs teams across the 70 countries where Monsanto conducts business. This experience got Jerry connected to the Keystones centers work in agriculture. Key among his responsibilities were shaping the company’s public policy and building partnerships aimed at helping farmers around the world produce more food, while conserving valuable resources like water and energy. Two unique partnership that developed under his leadership were drought tolerant corn with 5 African countries, CIMMYT and the Gates foundation, and a building a sustainable business model in Brazil with the value chain leading to significant multi-company investment and soybean varieties that can protected themselves.
Jennifer Morris is the Chief Executive Officer of The Nature Conservancy, leading a team of nearly 6,000 staff working in more than 80 countries and territories tackling the dual crises of the 
Congressman Joe Neguse represents Colorado’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected to his first term in November 2018, becoming the first Black Member of Congress in Colorado history. In December 2022, Rep. Neguse was elected by his colleagues to serve as Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), becoming the first Coloradan to serve in a senior elected leadership role in the House in over 85 years. He serves on the Natural Resources and Judiciary Committees, and was also appointed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to serve as one of four Democrats on the prestigious Rules Committee. Rep. Neguse serves as Ranking Member on the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, which he previously Chaired in the 117th Congress.
Llewellyn King was born in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. He went into journalism as soon as he turned 16, stringing for Time magazine and United Press in Africa.
Steven Williams is the Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo North America, overseeing a more than $48 billion business that spans PepsiCo’s Foods and Beverage operating units. His leadership encompasses more than 125,000 associates and over 900 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Steven joined PepsiCo in 2001 as part of PepsiCo’s acquisition of the Quaker Oats Company, which he joined in 1997, and has held leadership positions of increased responsibility since.