AMERICAN INNOVATION AND ABUNDANCE
September 2025
INTRODUCTION
Climate Group North America hosted the American Innovation and Abundance Program at the Hub Live, as part of Climate Week NYC to elevate fresh strategies for US climate leadership while testing new frameworks for action.
Executive Director of Climate Group North America Angela Barranco kicked off the American Innovation and Abundance program announcing that the day was a platform for US action - bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, advocates, and community champions who are charting new ground today for US action and innovation Our sessions challenged participants to think bigger: how do we scale, govern, and implement solutions in ways that ensure urgent action, trust, and resilience.
While the prevailing storyline says that US climate action is moving backwards, what we see daily across our networks is the opposite. American builders, buyers, public servants, and community leaders are moving projects from concept to concrete today To support this momentum forward we asked what does it take to expand clean, reliable American-made energy supply? How do we remove bottlenecks to progress? And how do we deliver prosperity and the benefits of clean energy to every community?
Climate Group North America curated a day long program examining these questions during four main stage sessions: Abundance in Action: How to Frame the Next Clean Energy Transition framing the day with a look at big picture mandates and shaping public perception; US Innovation & Investment: Scaling What Works showcasing innovators and capital moving solutions to market; From Governance to Ground Game - Capacity, Ingenuity, & Deployment focusing on government capacity and the civic trust required to deliver; and Implementing and Accelerating US Action zeroing in on real-world implementation in communities across the country.
KEY POINTS
Abundance in Action: How to Frame the Next Clean Energy Transition
Tom Steyer, Co-Executive Chair, Galvanize Climate Solutions and Heather Reams, President and CEO, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions debated in a the panel Leveraging Abundance for the Post-IRA Renaissance moderated by Hannah Safford, Associate Director, Climate and Environment, Federation of American Scientists, what a more responsive government feels like - less bureaucracy, more trust, and more visible impact on daily lives Both emphasized that capitalism and competition can drive decarbonization, even across ideological divides, and that the next generation of leaders must push further, faster.
What emerged was a call to embrace abundance as a mindset of possibility. Climate action is not just about technology, it’s about people, values, and the courage to lead. This session laid the foundation for the day, urging participants to frame the clean energy transition as a movement of inclusion, resilience, and unstoppable progress. The time to lead is now, and the tools are already in our hands.
Key takeaways:
• Abundance should be reframed as an opportunity for justice and leadership, not excess.
• Subnational actors are driving climate progress in the absence of federal leadership.
• Narratives matter activists and elected officials must continue to inspire and mobilize
The next session, In Conversation: People, Power & Public Trust challenged attendees to rethink abundance not as excess, but as a powerful opportunity to lead with justice, equity, and climate ambition. Jane Fonda, Actor and Activisit, JanePAC, reminded us that despite political setbacks, “we are breaking records,” and the momentum for climate action is real. California Attorney General Rob Bonta called on local governments to step into leadership roles, emphasizing that the clean energy transition must be rooted in community empowerment and bold governance. The message was clear: we cannot wait for federal leadership we must act now, from the ground up.
US Innovation and Investment: Scaling What Works
Innovation is not the problem scale is. In Conversation: Setting Free Public-Private Potential spotlighted entrepreneurs and investors who are already delivering climate solutions but are struggling to grow fast enough. Al Subbloie, CEO, Budderfly, declared, “We can pull 30% of waste out of the existing usage space. We have the tech - why aren’t we doing it?” His frustration echoed across the panel: the solutions exist, but outdated regulations, fragmented markets, and missing financial bridges are slowing progress. Jigar Shah, Founder, Multiplier, emphasized the need for public-private partnerships to validate and accelerate these innovations, especially in underserved communities. Ricken Patel, Principal, Climate Hub, and Shah explored in In Conversation: Are We on Track? If Not, What’s the Plan? how to create space for productive conversations across the globe regarding emergent technological solutions
Experts in climate finance made a compelling case for unlocking the “missing middle,” where promising technologies stall between venture capital and institutional investment, led by Tim Profeta, Executive in Residence, Nicholas at Duke University, Nicole Steele, Director of Climate Policy, Amalgamated Bank, Avra van der Zee, COO, Elemental Impact, and Carl Hoiland, Co-Founder and CEO, Zanskar called for catalytic capital and risk-sharing mechanisms to unleash geothermal, solar, and energy efficiency breakthroughs. The clean energy leaders emphasized that Americans are not short on ideas, we are short on coordination and capital. If the US wants to achieve energy independence, we must scale what works, and we must do it now.
Key Takeaways:
• Innovation is thriving, but scaling requires capital, policy support, and trust.
• The “missing middle” in finance must be addressed to unlock first-of-its-kind technologies.
• Community buy-in and catalytic investment are essential for long-term success.
• Clean energy is the energy industry with 3.6 million jobs and counting
The economic case for clean energy was made by Bob Keefe, Executive Director, E2 in conversation with Ann Davlin, CEO, Cleantech Leaders Roundtable, reframing the clean energy sector as the American energy industry, now employing 3.6 million workers, three times as many as the traditional fossil fuel-based economy
From Governance to Ground Game: Capacity, Ingenuity, and Deployment
Climate action doesn’t happen in boardrooms; it happens in communities. This session, moderated by Loren Schulman, Senior Advisor, Government Capacity, Federation of American Scientists explored the ways that governance can be inclusive, flexible, and rooted in trust Carol Browner, Senior Of Counsel, Covington & Burling, spoke to the ways that regulations, when designed well, create certainty and opportunity. Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen of Coral Springs, FL, passionately made the case for governments to show up for their communities, not just with promises, but with real capacity and accountability. Jordan Diamond, President, Environmental Law Institute emphasized that successful climate projects begin with listening and that community ownership and transparency are not optional, they are essential. The overall message was urgent: trust is not a luxury; it’s a prerequisite for deployment of clean energy and infrastructure projects across the country.
In Conversation: Democracy, Climate, and Community focused on the importance of equity and lifting people up in the energy transition and giving every stakeholder a seat at the table Chrystel Cornelius, President and CEO, Oweesta Corporation, flagged the risk on non-inclusion, especially pertaining to the insurance industry and in Tribal communities Jonathan Drobis, President, Bantam Communications, discussed the need to reframe
the climate conversation in a way that resonates with more people, build social license for climate action and overcome polarization. Miguel Sossa-Mardomingo, Vice President and Deputy Americas Sustainability Lead, Capgemini, highlighted the need for integrating sustainability into the labor force and creating more focused jobs programs toward decarbonization. Michael Blake, CEO and Founder, Atlas Strategy Group emphasized that if we want to build a just and sustainable future, we must build it together, with every voice at the table and every community leading the way and this session was a rallying cry for a new kind of governance, one that adapts, learns, and puts people first.
Key Takeaways:
• Trust and transparency are foundational to climate deployment.
• Local governments and CBOs must be empowered with resources and flexibility.
• Community ownership models are key to equitable climate solutions.
• Regulatory reform must balance certainty with adaptability.
Implementing and Accelerating US Action
Implementing and Accelerating US Action: From Ports to Policy to Technology served as a powerful reminder that climate ambition must be matched by execution. Moderated by Steven M. Rothstein, Chief Program Officer, Ceres, we heard from Doreen Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA, Trisha Miller, VP of Policy and Market Development, Aeroseal, and Mario Cordero, CEO, Port of Long Beach about the challenges facing deployments of clean energy infrastructure Harris emphasized the enormous potential of energy sources like offshore wind but called for expedited permitting reform for projects. Miller highlighted the importance of retrofitting the built environment and following through on existing construction implementation From transmission lines to offshore wind farms, the barriers are real, but so is the opportunity. Cordero celebrated the Port of Long Beach’s transformation into a green leader, proving that sustainability and economic growth can go hand in hand. The challenge now is to replicate that success nationwide.
Key Takeaways:
• Infrastructure reform is critical to unlocking clean energy deployment.
• Long-term policy certainty is needed to attract and retain investment.
• Electrification of buildings and ports is a major opportunity for decarbonization.
• Public-private collaboration must fill gaps left by federal rollbacks
In Conversation: The Closing Case for American Innovation and Abundance moderated by Governor Bill Ritter closed the day. We heard from Ernie Moniz, Founder and CEO, EFI Foundation and Rich Powell, CEO, Clean Energy Buyers Association on the importance of speeding up capacity development. Infrastructure is the backbone of the clean energy transition, but as Moniz contextualized the content of infrastructure “is just damn hard.” Moniz reflected on his previous years as US Energy Secretary and noted that the US was previously in a “Goldilocks zone” with energy prices and low interest rates over the past few years, but reality has caught up and prices are steadily rising in a harsher economic environment Powell, bringing a private sector perspective on the global energy landscape, agreed and added that we need to get back to “growth mode.” Their message was clear – we need to make it easier to build and scale these projects to get back on track.
The Path Forward
The American Abundance and Innovation framework imagines a prosperous, clean energydriven future, solutions to climate-driven impacts with innovation and implementation, and it is a demand for action today. This will require courage to reform our policies, more capacity for implementation, and trust built across the board. By harnessing our collaboration and ingenuity, we can move from ideas to action, and from action to durable impact.
A clear throughline emerged across the day: Americans have the tools, technologies, and talent to drive a prosperous, just and durable clean energy transition - but competing regulations, lack of public trust, and unreliable financing remain the decisive bottlenecks.
• Innovation alone is not enough New technologies and financing models must be paired with government capacity, regulatory flexibility, and democratic trust.
• Communities are central. From tribes asserting sovereignty to local governments demanding flexibility, durable progress depends on buy-in from project neighbors, ratepayers, and the public.
• Collaborators win together The clean energy transition requires alignment across parties, sectors, and geographies. Fragmentation is the enemy of scale.
• Capital gaps remain. Without catalytic capital to bridge the “missing middle,” promising projects will stall before they can scale.
• Governance reform is essential. Outdated statutes, capacity gaps, and rigid processes are holding the US back - making reform both urgent and possible.
Looking ahead, the work charges forward. Climate Group North America will host the sixth US Leaders’ Forum in April 2026, the next milestone moment for US action. The Forum brings together state, local and federal leaders, private-sector executives, and NGO decision-makers, for an unparalleled platform to keep driving American clean energy, regulatory ingenuity, and community momentum forward for climate action.
Get in touch to learn more about how you can partner with Climate Group.
Contact: Sydney Snow, Director of Programs, Climate Group North America
ssnow@climategroup.org