Keynote address at Chicago Council on Global Affairs focuses on pursuit of sustainable energy

Read: "Exelon 2020 - In Pursuit of More Sustainable Energy” - Remarks by Exelon Chairman and CEO John Rowe (pdf)

CHICAGO (Dec. 2, 2008)—In a speech at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Climate Change Symposium today, Exelon Chairman and CEO John Rowe discussed the key public policy and corporate actions that must be taken to build a sustainable U.S. energy policy under the Obama administration before more than 150 Midwestern business leaders.

“The next administration must work with Congress to enact climate legislation and enact it soon,” Rowe said. “With the nation’s attention on the recession, some believe this action should be delayed. That would be a grave error, both for our economy and our climate.”

Rowe outlined the five elements he believes are imperative to U.S. energy policy:

1. Federal, mandatory, economy-wide climate legislation

2. Support for energy efficiency and conservation across the entire economy, including new standards as well as programs and investment by utilities

3. An economically responsible approach to renewable energy

4. Financial support for new low-carbon, base load generation, such as clean coal and next-generation nuclear 

5. Continued commitment to competitive electricity markets to spur investment and innovation in new low-carbon solutions

Exelon is not waiting for Washington to act. The company has launched a comprehensive plan for addressing climate change, Exelon 2020: A Low Carbon Roadmap, which will reduce, offset or displace more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. This is more than the company’s current annual carbon footprint and the equivalent of taking nearly 3 million cars off the roads.

Rowe is the longest-serving chief executive in the energy industry. He was among the first CEOs in the utility industry to focus on the issue of climate change and testified before Congress on the subject in 1992. Rowe currently serves as chair of the Nuclear Energy Institute and co-chair of the bipartisan National Commission on Energy Policy and has previously chaired the Edison Electric Institute. Exelon is also a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership.

Rowe’s speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs is available on the Exelon Web site – www.exeloncorp.com.