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.