Energy and natural resources are a core focus of the Trump Administration's national security agenda. From the disruptions to European energy that followed Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, to China's weaponization of dependencies on critical minerals essential to defense and advanced manufacturing, to the projected massive expansion in energy demand accompanying the AI revolution, it is impossible to separate our core geopolitical interests from our ability to secure and develop energy and mineral resources. Dr. Kennedy will discuss how the Trump Administration is prioritizing natural resources, including through recent Executive orders; the tools of economic statecraft available to project American energy leadership abroad and respond to intentional disruptions by foreign adversaries; and the challenge of reconciling energy and industrial policy with global market realities.

Chris Kennedy is a Senior Economist at the U.S. Department of State. He recently completed a one-year detail as Director for International Economics on the National Security Council, where he worked to coordinate and advance Administration policies around critical minerals, energy security, international trade, and digital policy. Dr. Kennedy previously served as Director for Climate and Environmental Security on the National Security Council, and as an Economic Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. Dr. Kennedy began his government career in 2019 as an AAAS Science and Technology Fellow at the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations in the Department of State. Prior to federal service, Dr. Kennedy was an academic economist in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University, where his research and teaching focused on environmental and natural resources economics. He received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University and a PhD in Economics from the University of Wyoming.