Washington, D.C. – Today, United States Energy Association (USEA) Acting Executive Director Sheila Hollis spoke at the 20th Annual Wall Street Green Summit, a weeklong event founded by Peter Fusaro of AVG Group, that covers the nexus of finance, climate change, and technology. Hollis first spoke at the inaugural event in 2001, and her opening remarks today emphasized the increasing importance of the Summit.

In her role at USEA, Hollis is focused on helping the organization leverage its nearly 100 years of experience to assist U.S. governmental agencies at home and abroad in their work to expand energy access to all. The role of finance in these efforts is critically important and speaking at the Wall Street Green Summit again this year underscored the significance of green finance in helping the U.S. and other nations address the impacts of the global pandemic while looking ahead to fund vital energy infrastructure programs in the cleanest, most cost effective, and safest manner.

In her remarks, Hollis said: “Environmental justice issues are even more significant now than twenty years ago. The world is moving toward decarbonization of the energy sector by 2050. These proposed initiatives and developments will require all of us in the financial and energy sectors to collaborate on reliable, affordable, environmentally sustainable energy. As energy demand is also expected to double by mid-century -- with hundreds of millions gaining energy access for the first time – the challenges loom large, although they are surmountable.

“Energy is the lifeblood of all economies, including the U.S., and the time has never been more critical to spur economic growth. I like to say ‘energy never sleeps’ and we cannot sleep either. The energy transformation is unfolding. The financial, energy, and environmental sectors will converge with greater intensity and velocity in the coming years, and the financial aspect of this enormous goal is the inescapably vital element. I look forward to staying engaged with each of you in the journey ahead.”