Moderators

8:30 AM

Panel: The Changing Energy Landscape of the Western Interconnection

Dr. Kathleen Araújo is the Director of the CAES Energy Policy Institute and Professor of Sustainable Energy Systems, Innovation and Policy at Boise State University’s School of Public Service. She specializes in energy transitions and resilience, including priorities tied to net zero aims, regional revitalization, and critical minerals.

Dr. Araújo’s book, Low Carbon Energy Transitions: Turning Points in National Policy and Innovation, examines the technical, social, and natural histories of energy change in four countries following the 1973 oil crisis. Her next book, the Routledge Handbook of Energy Transitions (awarded Best Edited Volume on Energy by the American Energy Society in 2023), explores current insights from the evolving field of energy transitions.

Dr. Araújo is the lead for one of twelve national consortia funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to provide recommendations on consent-based siting, and is a lead for Boise State on a $24 million award (NSF/State) to evaluate energy-water system resilience. She has presented or led discussions in forums with the Arctic Circle Assembly and Fukushima Medical University. Dr. Araújo also consults for communities, industry and inter-governmental organizations. In 2023, Dr. Araújo was named a Presidential Innovator. 

10:30 AM

Panel: Toward Energy Security and Shared Benefits

Justin was appointed executive director of the Idaho Conservation League in May 2019 after serving more than 18 years as ICL’s program director. Before ICL, Justin worked tirelessly as an environmental advocate in Idaho and Washington, D.C. for organizations such as Idaho Rivers United, Save our Wild Salmon, and American Rivers.

Justin’s unique blend of science-based technical skills, public policy and lobbying experience, and expertise gained from his dual undergraduate degrees in human biology and earth systems and master’s degree from Stanford University’s School of Earth Sciences, ensures that ICL’s work is grounded in sound science and best practices. Justin also relies on experience gained during his years working as an environmental advocate in Washington, D.C., time spent lobbying in the Idaho Statehouse, and his interest in connecting people to policymakers and elected officials.

A native Idahoan, Justin rejoices in the knowledge that his work is protecting the things that make Idaho a great place to live – our spectacular landscapes, wildlife, clean air, and clean water.

Justin lives in Boise and enjoys spending his free time hunting and fishing in Idaho’s backcountry, mountain biking, skiing, and running Idaho’s amazing rivers.

1:30 PM

Panel: Optimizing Siting and Transmission

Tom Michael has been the General Manager of Boise State Public Radio since 2016. As its executive director, he focuses on its long-term financial stability, partnerships, editorial expansion, and digital transformation. Tom helped to launch Idaho Matters, a weekday public affairs program, and the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration of public media organizations across five states. In West Texas he founded Marfa Public Radio, building a regional network from the ground up. He sits on the board of the Idaho Press Club.