The Atlantic Council and Howard Baker Forum are pleased to host the US-Japan Roundtable’s Annual Washington Conference, which will take place at the Atlantic Council (1400 L Street NW, Washington, DC) on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025, from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET. The US-Japan Annual Washington Conference will address opportunities for civil nuclear cooperation between the US and Japan, with a focus on tripling global nuclear energy capacity by 2050, meeting new sources of energy demand, strengthening the nuclear fuel cycle, and deploying the next generation of nuclear energy technologies.

The Howard Baker Forum, which sponsors the US-Japan Washington Conference, provides a platform for examining specific, immediate, and critical issues affecting the nation’s progress at home and its relations abroad. Established under the leadership of Senator Howard Baker, the Forum continues to organize a variety of programs and research projects to illuminate public policy challenges facing the nation today.

The Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs by providing an essential forum for navigating the dramatic economic and political changes defining the twenty-first century. Through the papers it publishes, the ideas it generates, the future leaders it develops, and the communities it builds, the Atlantic Council shapes policy choices and strategies to create a more free, secure, and prosperous world.

Agenda | Wednesday, February 19

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast


9:00 – 9:10 a.m. Welcome remarks

Jenna Ben-Yehuda, Executive Vice President, Atlantic Council

Scott Campbell, President, Howard Baker Forum


 9:10 – 9:30 a.m. Keynote remarks

Michael Goff, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, US Department of Energy

Masanori Tsuruda, Deputy Commissioner for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)


9:30 – 10:30 a.m. PANEL I: Achieving Energy Security through International Civil Nuclear Cooperation

Rian Bahran, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Reactors, Office of Nuclear Energy, US Department of Energy

Maria Korsnick, President and Chief Executive Officer, Nuclear Energy Institute

Hideki Masui, President, Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (JAIF)

Rei Suzuki, Deputy Director, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

MODERATED BY

Jennifer Gordon, Director, Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center


10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Coffee break


11:00 – 12:00 p.m. PANEL II: Meeting New Sources of Energy Demand

Michelle Patron, General Manager, Sustainability Policy, Microsoft

Amy Roma, Partner and Energy Practice Leader, Hogan Lovells

Colleen Wright, Vice President, Strategy and Development, Constellation

MODERATED BY

Matt Duff, Vice President, Howard Baker Forum and Strategic Advisor, Baker Donelson


12:00– 1:30 p.m. Networking lunch


1:30– 2:00 p.m. Keynote Remarks: The State of Nuclear Power in the US and Japan: Building a Resilient Fuel Cycle 

The Hon. Daniel Poneman, Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center and Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Hitoshi Mizuta, Representative Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer, Kansai Electric Power Company


2:00– 2:30 p.m. Fireside Chat: The Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Shigeo Fujinami, Senior Director, New Market Development, Nuclear Energy Institute

Jenifer Shafer, Associate Director for Technology, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, US Department of Energy

MODERATED BY

Lauren Hughes, Deputy Director, Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center


2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Coffee break


3:00 – 4:00 p.m. PANEL III: Deploying the Next Generation of Nuclear Energy Technologies

Keiji Matsunaga, Technology Executive, Nuclear Energy Systems, Power Systems Division, Toshiba Energy Systems and Solutions Corporation

Hidehito Mimaki, Senior Vice President, Head of Nuclear Energy Systems, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Masanao Moriwaki, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Global Business Development and Management Division, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy Ltd

Cole Simons, Managing Director, Government Affairs, GE Vernova

MODERATED BY

Carol Berrigan, Executive Director, International Government Affairs and Supply Chain, Nuclear Energy Institute


4:00 – 4:30 p.m. Closing remarks

Yoshihiro Tomioka, Director, Deputy Secretary General, The Federation of Electric Power Companies (FEPC)

David Sledzik, Senior Vice President and Director, Strategic Investments, Global Nuclear Fuel, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy

Jennifer Gordon, Director, Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center

Scott Campbell, President, Howard Baker Forum


4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Cocktail reception

Sign up for updates on the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center’s events, publications, and more.

The Global Energy Center develops and promotes pragmatic and nonpartisan policy solutions designed to advance global energy security, enhance economic opportunity, and accelerate pathways to net-zero emissions.