The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth was proud to serve as the leading academic thought partner for this year’s Aspen Ideas: Climate conference, which took place in Chicago on July 20-22, 2026. The event brought together hundreds of leaders from business, government, philanthropy, academia, media, and the arts for dialogues aimed at bold, practical solutions to the climate and energy crisis. In collaborating with Aspen Ideas, the Institute added global expertise and cutting-edge research insights to the conference, co-curating several sessions that featured Institute scholars.
The Institute also sponsored its largest-ever cohort of UChicago students to attend the conference. Thirty climate-affiliated undergraduates and graduate students attended across the three-day event, including the first-ever Master of Science in Climate and Energy Policy (MSCEP) cohort. The students were able to learn about a diverse array of topics from expert panels, while also networking and connecting with leaders across sectors.
“I think it’s been quite exciting and also a pretty valuable learning experience,” said Grace Gu (College ’29), a Polsky Research Fellow. “It’s very encouraging to see so many people caring about climate, especially people from private corporations, showing attention towards sustainability concerns. I’ve learned a lot, and I think it’s certainly interesting to see how people from different fields and industries have overlapping concerns.”
On the opening day of the conference, Institute faculty led four Climate 101 sessions hosted by the Institute at the Rubenstein Forum on the University of Chicago campus. Amir Jina, Assistant Professor at Harris Public Policy, hosted Climate Impacts 101, where he explained the diverse impacts of climate change on economies and societies around the world. Elisabeth Moyer, Associate Professor of Geophysical Sciences, presented Power Sector 101, exploring the history of energy use and sources in the US over time. Moyer also hosted Climate Systems Engineering 101, sharing the science behind global warming and novel technologies proposed to limit it. Chibueze Amanchukwu, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, hosted Energy Storage 101, where he gave an accessible introduction to the science behind batteries and their importance in the energy transition.
Opening General Assembly
On Monday night, UChicago hosted Aspen’s Opening General Assembly at the Rubenstein Forum. Institute Founding Director Michael Greenstone introduced the event, where seven speakers engaged in rapid deep dives into today’s most pressing climate challenges. Speakers included Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at Time and EPIC Journalism Fellow, as well as Valerie Jarrett, CEO of The Obama Foundation; Ernest Moniz, Former US Secretary of Energy; Tom Wilson, Chair, President and CEO of The Allstate Corporation; Tom Chi, Founding Partner, At One Ventures; Greg Gershuny, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program; and Kitty Pollack, Co-Director of Aspen Ideas: Climate.
The Battery Boom: Rewriting the Rules of the Grid
Institute Scholar Chibueze Amanchukwu joined moderator Rob Meyer, Founding Executive Editor of Heatmap News and former EPIC Journalism Fellow; Kelly Speakes-Backman, Director of the Maryland Energy Administration; and Jack Godshall, Co-Founder and COO of Jupiter Power, for a conversation on the future of batteries and energy storage.
Each panelist brought a different perspective to the discussion on grid-scale energy storage, covering policy, business and science. Amanchukwu brought the technical perspective to the panel, explaining the limitations of current battery technologies and forecasting future opportunities for improvements to battery life and materials. Godshall gave an optimistic look at the growth of demand for grid-scale batteries throughout his years in the business, and Speakes-Backman provided insight on the ways local and federal government can facilitate energy storage development
Ground Rules for Geoengineering
David Keith, the Climate Systems Engineering initiative’s Faculty Director, debated the future of global geoengineering policy and regulation with moderator Patrick Taylor Smith, Associate Principal at Principia Advisory; George David Banks, President and CEO of the American Council for Capital Formation; and Institute Distinguished Fellow and Former Principal Deputy Envoy for Climate at The White House Sue Biniaz.
Each panelist brought different ideas on navigating the global disagreement on geoengineering. Banks gave his perspective on communicating about geoengineering with conservatives; Biniaz discussed the practical realities of global geoengineering consensus; and Smith gave a philosophical analysis of our hopes and fears surrounding geoengineering. Keith provided his perspective as a longtime leader in geoengineering research, addressing common concerns about the scientific and political effects of Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) deployment.
Lights On, Bills Low: Building the Grid We Need
Institute Director Michael Greenstone discussed electricity demand and grid infrastructure with moderator Justin Worland from Time; Billy Pizer, President and CEO of Resources for the Future; Allison Clements, Principal at 804 Advisory and former FERC commissioner; and Gil Quiniones, President and CEO of ComED.
The panel generated a topical debate on national energy policy, including how to best insulate ratepayers from rising electricity demand and whether data centers should be given special treatment when connecting to the grid. Greenstone and Pizer gave their economic views on how to improve grid efficiency; Quinones shared the practical realities of pricing and infrastructure as the head of an electric utility; and Clements commented on regulatory possibilities.
Building Clean Power at Community Scale
Kristina Costa, the Institute’s Managing Director of Policy and Strategic Engagement, moderated a discussion between Manish Bapna, President, Natural Resources Defense Council; Abre’ Conner, Director, Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, NAACP; and Peter Colavito, Executive Director, Invest in Our Future.
The speakers discussed the importance of Community Benefit Agreements to ensure that new large infrastructure projects, such as data centers, provide substantial benefits to the cities they build in. Each panelist shared their experience at major non-profit organizations supporting communities in different ways, from clean energy investments to health programs and job creation. They also commented on the ability of federal and local policy to incentivize and block the development of such projects.
Several Fellows and friends of the Institute were also involved in the conference. Along with moderating the panel on battery technology, former EPIC Journalism Fellow Rob Meyer spoke on the panel AI and the Climate Credibility Crisis, sharing his expertise on climate communications. Colleen Grogan, Deborah R. and Edgar D. Jannotta Professor of the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, moderated a panel titled Community Approaches to Real Resilience, which focused on providing community-focused medical and wellness services.
Zeenat Rahman, Executive Director of UChicago’s Institute of Politics, and EPIC Journalism Fellow Justin Worland both participated in the conference’s Closing General Assembly. Worland moderated a discussion on the potential of data centers to advance decarbonization. Rahman led the final event of the night, a discussion with actor and activist Rainn Wilson that focused on Wilson’s efforts in non-partisan climate activism.