September 28, 2026

2nd Annual American Energy Leadership Summit: Energy Security Game Changers

Overview

C3 Solutions’ second annual American Energy Leadership Summit brought policymakers, energy producers, investors, technology companies, and manufacturers together at Planet Word in Washington, D.C., on September 28, 2026. Under the theme Energy Security Game Changers, the day examined what it takes to turn American resources and innovation into affordable energy, resilient supply chains, and economic opportunity.

Former Senator Joe Manchin and House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman bookended the program with conversations about the need for permitting reform and the bipartisanship required to pass it. In between, speakers examined how capital, infrastructure, technology, and public confidence shape whether a project gets built. Drew Bond opened the summit by emphasizing practical policy progress and relationships that help businesses and innovators move forward.

Three Takeaways from the Day

Successful permitting reform must deliver the speed and certainty investors need. Manchin and Westerman described how delays and permit reversals create investment risk across all energy technologies and infrastructure projects, leading to higher costs for American businesses and consumers. Both called for legislation that survives changes in administration, litigation procedures that let projects move forward, and the compromise needed to produce a workable, durable bill. Speed and predictability, they noted, are both crucial to getting projects financed and built.

Grid growth has to work for new customers and for the ratepayers already on the system. Sessions on interconnection, transmission, and corporate energy procurement focused on how to expand the grid faster while choosing the investments that deliver the most value. A recurring theme was the need for flexibility, so that transmission and other needed upgrades can get built in ways that let data centers and other large customers pay for the capacity they require, as many are prepared to do. Protecting existing ratepayers means updating cost allocation rules and tariffs so the gains from growth lower customers’ bills instead of simply raising utility returns.

Energy dominance requires a strong path from early-stage innovation to commercialization. Speakers described an important role for government in backing high-risk, high-reward research that private capital can then carry to scale. Clear regulatory paths and less policy uncertainty will help attract patient investors. Building the infrastructure, processing and manufacturing capacity, and trained workforce that follow requires clearing barriers and setting efficient, durable rules that unleash American industry.

Explore the session recaps below for the day’s proposals, key takeaways, and speaker perspectives.