Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest: Robert Fri

In accordance with Section 15 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the "Academy shall make its best efforts to ensure that no individual appointed to serve on [a] committee has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the functions to be performed, unless such conflict is promptly and publicly disclosed and the Academy determines that the conflict is unavoidable." A conflict of interest refers to an interest, ordinarily financial, of an individual that could be directly affected by the work of the committee. As specified in the Academy's policy and procedures (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi/index.html), an objective determination is made for each provisionally appointed committee member whether or not a conflict of interest exists given the facts of the individual's financial and other interests and the task being undertaken by the committee. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual's actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.

We have concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, its membership must include, among others, at least one individual with expertise in energy and environmental issues and experience in bringing that expertise to bear in leadership positions across the federal, private, and not-for-profit sectors.

To meet these needs, Mr. Robert Fri is proposed for appointment to the committee even though we have determined that he has a conflict of interest because he owns more than a de minimus amount of stock in a major energy company (American Electric Power Company).

As his biographical summary makes clear, Mr. Fri is uniquely well-suited to serve as a member of the Committee on America’s Climate Choices. Mr. Fri has held leadership positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including five years as director of the National Museum of Natural History, seven years as president of the Energy Transition Company, and ten years as president of Resources for the Future (where he is presently affiliated as a visiting scholar). Fri has also served on numerous boards and advisory committees and is currently a member of the Committee on America’s Energy Future, which will serve as a key resource for the Committee on America’s Climate Choices. This firsthand experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and familiarity with the work of related activities both inside and outside the National Academies is critical for the committee in meeting its task. We believe that Mr. Fri can serve effectively as a member of the committee and that the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the work.

After an extensive search, we have been unable to find another individual with the equivalent combination of experience and expertise as Mr. Fri who does not have a similar conflict of interest. Therefore, we have concluded that this potential conflict is unavoidable.

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest: James Geringer

In accordance with Section 15 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the "Academy shall make its best efforts to ensure that no individual appointed to serve on [a] committee has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the functions to be performed, unless such conflict is promptly and publicly disclosed and the Academy determines that the conflict is unavoidable." A conflict of interest refers to an interest, ordinarily financial, of an individual that could be directly affected by the work of the committee. As specified in the Academy's policy and procedures (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi/index.html), an objective determination is made for each provisionally appointed committee member whether or not a conflict of interest exists given the facts of the individual's financial and other interests and the task being undertaken by the committee. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual's actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.

We have concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established its membership must include, among others, at least one individual who can provide a state and local government perspective on the issues to be addressed by the committee.

To meet the need for this expertise and experience, Mr. James Geringer is proposed for appointment to the committee even though we have concluded that he has a conflict of interest because he owns a more than de minimus amount of stock in two energy companies (Ultra Petroleum and TMA Wind).

As his biographical summary makes clear, Mr. Geringer is uniquely well suited to bring a state- and local- level perspective to the Committee on America’s Climate Choices by virtue of his 12 years of service in the Wyoming House of Representatives and Senate, followed by two terms as state Governor. Since retiring from public office, Mr. Geringer has served as director of policy and public sector strategies for the Environmental Systems Research Institute. This firsthand experience with decision-making at the state level, coupled with his technical expertise, makes Mr. Geringer uniquely well-suited to help the committee meet its task. We believe that Mr. Geringer can serve effectively as a member of the committee and that the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the work.

After an extensive search, we have been unable to find another individual with the equivalent experience and expertise as Mr. Geringer who does not have a similar conflict of interest. Therefore, we have concluded that this potential conflict is unavoidable.

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest: Philip Sharp

In accordance with Section 15 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the "Academy shall make its best efforts to ensure that no individual appointed to serve on [a] committee has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the functions to be performed, unless such conflict is promptly and publicly disclosed and the Academy determines that the conflict is unavoidable." A conflict of interest refers to an interest, ordinarily financial, of an individual that could be directly affected by the work of the committee. As specified in the Academy's policy and procedures (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi/index.html), an objective determination is made for each provisionally appointed committee member whether or not a conflict of interest exists given the facts of the individual's financial and other interests and the task being undertaken by the committee. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual's actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.

We have concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established its membership must include, among others, at least one person who has been actively involved in the development of public policy and legislation pertaining to energy and the environment at the federal level.

To meet the need for this expertise and experience, Mr. Phillip Sharp is proposed for appointment to the committee even though we have concluded that he has a conflict of interest because he currently serves on the Board of Directors of a major energy company (Duke Energy) and owns a more than de minimus amount of company stock .

As his biographical summary makes clear, Mr. Sharp served ten terms as a member of Congress, during which time he was actively involved in the development of several important pieces of legislation, including the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and the Energy Policy Act of 1992. After leaving office, Mr. Sharp served on the faculty at Harvard University and became President of Resources for the Future, a highly respected non-governmental organization, in 2005. He has also served on numerous public, private, and nonprofit sector boards and advisory committees. This firsthand experience working on a variety of energy and environmental issues at the highest levels of the U.S. government is critical for the committee in meeting its task. We believe that Mr. Sharp can serve effectively as a member of the committee and that the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the work.

After an extensive search, we have been unable to find another individual with the equivalent corporate leadership experience as Mr. Sharp who does not have a similar conflict of interest. Therefore, we have concluded that this potential conflict is unavoidable.