Monthly archive

Michael Butler

Job Title: 
Public & Government Affairs Manager
Organization: 
ExxonMobil Pipeline Company LLC.

Michael (Mike) Butler is the current Public & Government Affairs Manager for ExxonMobil Pipeline Company LLC.  In his 28+ years with ExxonMobil, he has served in numerous roles in areas of environmental compliance, legislative and regulatory affairs, pipeline regulatory compliance, pipeline integrity and commercial business development.  Mike brings extensive experience in legislative and regulatory policy making for issues impacting pipelines.  He has been an active member in trade associations supporting and progressing industry standards and regulations for pipeline operators.

A native of Virginia, he is married with two incredible teenage girls.

Profile Type: 
Speaker

USEA Power Sector Podcast Episode 177: Former FERC Chair & Founder & Head of the Rail-Grid Collaborative Jim Hoecker

September 25th, 2025

In today’s USEA Power Sector Podcast, former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair and Founder and Head of the Rail-Grid Collaborative Jim Hoecker answered questions by journalist Herman K. Trabish about an approach to expanding transmission using existing rail and highway rights-of-way that can avoid the current permitting logjam.

USEA's CEO Corner: Orsted Region Americas CEO Amanda Dasch

September 23rd, 2025
Join us for our next installment of CEO Corner where USEA’s President & CEO Mark Menezes sits down with the leaders of USEA member organizations. Learn more about these CEOs and discover how their work is shaping the energy landscape and enriching our community. This installment features Amanda Dasch, Region Americas CEO for Orsted. Note: This interview was filmed on September 19, 2025.

USEA Power Sector Podcast Episode 176: Americans for a Clean Energy Grid Executive Director Christina Hayes

September 23rd, 2025

In today’s USEA Power Sector Podcast, Americans for a Clean Energy Grid Executive Director Christina Hayes answered questions by journalist Herman K. Trabish about urgently needed reforms to permitting practices that can open the way to expanding and modernizing the inadequate and aging US transmission system.

USEA Power Sector Podcast Episode 175: Business Roundtable Senior Vice President Matt Sonnesyn

September 19th, 2025

In today’s USEA Power Sector Podcast, Matt Sonnesyn, Senior Vice President for Policy with the Business Roundtable answered questions by journalist Herman K. Trabish about why business leaders see an urgent need to modernize infrastructure permitting practices and how specific reforms can be implemented.

Michael Hillix

Job Title: 
Principal Geoscientist & Energy Advisor
Organization: 
Energy & Environmental Research Center

D. Michael Hillix, a Principal Geoscientist and Energy Advisor at the EERC, works closely with directors and program/project managers in the areas of oil and gas production optimization and geologic CO2 capture and storage to assist in managing research tasks within a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and business professionals. Hillix holds a Master of Petroleum Reservoir Systems from the Colorado School of Mines and a B.S. degree in Geology from the University of Kansas. Previously, Hillix served as a Lead Asset Geologist at Chord Energy (Whiting Petroleum), Denver, Colorado.

Hillix’s principal areas of interest and expertise include petroleum geology, with experience in operations geology, field development/optimization, business development, and evaluation of both conventional and unconventional reservoir systems. Hillix is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, Wyoming Geological Association, RMS-SEPM, Denver Well Logging Society, and Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Christian Flinn

Job Title: 
Public Policy Manager
Organization: 
Carbon Capture Coalition

Christian is the public policy manager of the Carbon Capture Coalition, which is convened and staffed by the Great Plains Institute. The coalition brings together more than 100 companies, unions, and conservation and environmental policy organizations, building federal policy support to enable economywide, commercial-scale deployment of carbon management technologies.

Based in Washington, DC, Christian works with coalition staff to design, enact, and implement the next generation of policies necessary to deploy the full suite of carbon management technologies at the pace required by midcentury climate goals.

He joined the Great Plains Institute in 2023, having previously worked as a policy associate at the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), where he helped advance policy priorities aimed at transitioning our food system away from animal agriculture. Christian also served as an honors law clerk at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He holds a JD from the George Washington University Law School and a BA from Georgetown University.

Credentials: 
JD

United States Energy Association Applauds U.S. Government’s Approval of $130 Million Project to Strengthen Moldova's Power Grid

September 18th, 2025

“We are proud that our analysis helped identify this important transmission line, which will create opportunities for U.S. firms by enabling Moldova to adopt and utilize U.S. technologies.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Melissa Brown, mbrown@usea.org

United States Energy Association Publishes Policy Brief on Vertical Gas Corridor

September 17th, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Melissa Brown, mbrown@usea.org

CCUS Demystified

October 8th, 2025

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) has been in use for decades, but today the industry is seeing rapid growth with nearly 600 projects in various stages of operation and development globally. With this growth, USEA is undertaking a four-part educational series on the basics of CCUS. To kick off our series, part one will explore the foundations of CCUS: what it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters now more than ever.

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