Agenda: Giga USA 25

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
																Networking Breakfast
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
																Words of Welcome Giga Stage
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM
																Political Leadership: America First in the Lithium-Ion Battery Race The Role of US Leadership Policy shifts impacting mining and battery supply chains Giga Stage
9:15 AM - 9:30 AM
																The Role of Critical Minerals in Defense Applications and National Security Strengthening supply chain security through domestic production and stockpiling The role of critical minerals in defense applications and national security Eric Shields, Senior Battery Advisor - Policy, Analysis, & Transition OASD, Industrial Base Policy, OUSD for Acquisition & Sustainment, U.S. Department of Defense Giga Stage
9:30 AM - 9:45 AM
																Navigating Tariffs The impact of tariffs on raw material costs and supply chain resilience Navigating global trade dynamics while securing reliable supply sources Strategies for mitigating tariff-related risks in battery manufacturing Giga Stage
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM
																The Future of Critical Minerals in Automotive Supply Chains Giga Stage
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM
																Networking Break

10:20 AM - 10:40 AM
																Unlocking America’s Potential: Building a Resilient Critical Mineral Strategy John Hickenlooper, Senator for Colorado, U.S. Senate
10:40 AM - 10:55 AM
																Bridging America’s Raw Material Disconnect Graham Kerr, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer and Managing Director, South32
10:55 AM - 11:05 AM
																Building Gigafactories & Mid-Stream Capacity Bob Lee, CEO, North America, LG Energy Solutions
11:05 AM - 11:25 AM
																Addressing the Permitting Barrier Addressing permitting pain points for gigafactories and mineral facilities Finding efficiencies and utilizing tools like FAST-41 to accelerate the permitting process to meet urgency and scale The limits of executive orders and need for Congressional action Understanding state and federal dynamics Learning from recent success stories (and cautionary tales) in the U.S. and abroad Peter Stahley, Senior Vice President, Cassidy and Associates

10:20 AM - 12:00 PM
																US Regional Spotlights State-level policy initiatives supporting production Leading states in critical mineral production and processing Economic benefits of localized supply chain investments Collaboration between state governments and private industry Brent Wilson, CEO, Galvanic Energy

1:00 PM - 1:20 PM
																Downstream Demand
1:20 PM - 2:00 PM
																Navigating Tax Credits, Trade Policy, and U.S. Manufacturing Goals Matthew Aks, Senior Strategist, Evercore ISI Donald Davidson, Head of Federal Affairs and Political Strategy, Volkswagen Group of America Jennifer Safavian, President and CEO, Autos Drive America
2:00 PM - 2:20 PM
																Scaling Storage for a Resilient Energy Future Scaling up domestic production of grid-scale energy storage solutions Overcoming cost and efficiency challenges in large-scale deployment Paul Dorsey, Associate General Counsel - Regulatory and External Affairs, Samsung SDI America
2:20 PM - 2:40 PM
																Tech Demand - Data Centers, AI and the Grid The role of batteries in supporting critical technology infrastructure Addressing supply chain challenges for energy demands of AI Innovations in energy-efficient power storage for data centers

1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
																Supply Chain Innovations Hear from energy transition innovators on new projects and technologies to build a strong battery supply chain Roshan Pujari, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Stardust Power Inc

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
																Networking Break
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
																Circularity and Sustainability Battery Recycling The role of battery recycling in building a circular economy The Importance of policy and regulatory support for scaling up battery material recovery Giga Stage
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM
																Building a Sustainable Supply Chain Alexis Georgeson, Vice President, Government Relations, Communications, and Consumer Recycling Programs, Redwood Materials Albert Gore, Executive Director, ZETA Abigail Hunter, Executive Director, Center for Critical Mineral Strategy, SAFE Giga Stage
6:00 PM
																Networking Reception

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
																Networking Breakfast
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
																Words of Welcome Giga Stage
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
																Critical Mineral Diplomacy Understanding the new Global Geopolitical Landscape Giga Stage
9:30 AM - 9:50 AM
																Powering the Nation: Critical Minerals and U.S. Competitiveness Lisa Murkowski, Senator for Alaska, U.S. Senate Giga Stage
9:50 AM - 10:10 AM
																The Impact of New US Policy on Global Trade Dynamics Impact of geopolitical tensions on supply chain stability Sarah Bianchi, Senior Managing Director, Chief Strategist of International Political Affairs and Public Policy, Evercore Giga Stage
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
																Networking Break

10:30 AM - 10:50 AM
																Unlocking DoD Funding for Energy Independence Anthony Huston, Founder and CEO, Graphite One Mahnaz Khan, Vice President of Policy for Critical Supply Chains, Silverado Policy Accelerator Pat Risner, President, Hermosa, South32
10:50 AM - 12:00 PM
																Next Generation of US Mining and Refining Innovations in extraction and refining processes for critical minerals Advancing US-based refining to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
																US Regional Spotlights State-level policy initiatives supporting production Leading states in critical mineral production and processing Economic benefits of localized supply chain investments Collaboration between state governments and private industry

1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
																Minerals in Focus: Cathode & Anode Raw Materials Highlight sessions on: Lithium Graphite Cobalt Nickel Manganese LFP Phosphates Parvin Adeli, Manager, Batteries, Nickel Institute Michael Blakeney, Head of Government and Public Affairs, Cobalt Institute Roland Chavasse, Secretary General & co-founder, International Lithium Association (ILiA)

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
																Networking Break
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
																Minerals in Focus: Copper Copper Copper demand growth for EVs, grid storage, and renewables Expanding US copper mining and refining capacity Addressing supply constraints and price volatility Giga Stage
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
																Minerals in Focus: Rare Earth Elements Securing domestic rare earth mining and refining capabilities Reducing US dependence on Chinese rare earth supply chains Applications of rare earths in defense, EVs, and electronics Ramon Barua, CEO, Aclara Resources Christine Burow, Chief Marketing Officer, Torngat Metals David Petitjean, Director, Sales Critical Minerals, Rio Tinto Giga Stage
6:00 PM
																Close of Conference and Networking