Core Positions
What Katie Stands For
Energy as National Security
The United States must treat its energy workforce as a strategic national asset. Long-term, generational workforce planning — not boom-bust hiring cycles — is essential to deploying the energy resources America needs.
Collaboration Over Competition
The energy industry must abandon its siloed culture when it comes to talent. Companies that compete for market share must cooperate to build the workforce pipeline that sustains the entire sector.
Climate Action Through the "Both/And" Lens
Oil and gas will remain essential for the foreseeable future — and must be made lower-carbon. At the same time, new clean energy technologies must be embraced. These are not opposing positions; they are complementary imperatives.
Depoliticizing Energy Policy
Energy has become a political football when it should be a practical priority. Katie advocates for the "sensible middle" — evidence-based policy, cross-partisan dialogue, and systemic reforms like Ranked Choice Voting that give voters more choices and reduce extremism.
Equity in the Energy Transition
The benefits of the clean energy economy must reach disadvantaged communities. Justice40 and similar frameworks are not just policy — they are moral imperatives for an industry that has historically underserved many of the communities it operates in.
Women as a New Global Power in Energy
Women represent an untapped and essential force in the energy transition. Building inclusive communities, removing barriers to entry, and recognizing women's contributions is not just good for equity — it is critical for solving the industry's talent crisis.
In Her Own Words
Advocacy on the Record
ALLY Energy — Leadership Roundtable
Hosting Beto O'Rourke with Oil & Gas and Cleantech Leaders
Katie Mehnert hosts a candid roundtable with Beto O'Rourke and a cross-sector group of oil and gas and cleantech leaders — bridging the divide between traditional energy and the clean energy transition through honest, solutions-focused dialogue.
Greater Houston Partnership — UpSkill Works Forum
The Clean Energy Workforce of the Future
Katie Mehnert, DOE Ambassador and National Petroleum Council representative, joins a panel on building the clean energy workforce. She calls for long-term generational workforce planning, cross-industry collaboration, and frames energy talent as a matter of national security.
Texas Forward / Forward Party
Texas Forward Podcast: Depoliticizing Energy
Katie Mehnert joins the Texas Forward Podcast to advocate for depoliticizing energy policy, embracing the "sensible middle," and systemic political reform including Ranked Choice Voting. She shares how Hurricane Harvey shaped her climate perspective and why the energy transition must be a bipartisan priority.
Mothers Against Greg Abbott — Online Webinar
Climate Change in Texas: The Case for Action
Katie Mehnert joins a panel on the tangible impacts of climate change in Texas — from Hurricane Harvey to the winter freeze. She advocates for an equitable energy transition that keeps oil and gas lower-carbon while embracing new technologies, and calls for proactive political leadership.
Op-Eds & Policy Work
Trusted Voice in National Media
Five Clear-Eyed Reasons for Conservatives to Support Solar
As a Texan, right-of-center conservative, and former DOE Ambassador under the Trump administration, Katie makes the case to fellow conservatives that solar energy is a national security, economic, and climate imperative — and that fossil fuels and renewables are not mutually exclusive.
Two Years After Harvey's Devastation, the Wake-Up Call Has Not Been Heeded
Two years after Hurricane Harvey flooded her Houston home, Katie calls on business and government leaders to harness the diverse voices of energy, push bipartisan climate legislation, and deliver a sustainable future — before the next disaster strikes.
Why Big Oil Should Embrace Activists Like Greta Thunberg
Most of us in Big Oil know climate change is real. Katie argues it's time the industry act on it — and that embracing activists as a talent strategy, not dismissing them as adversaries, is the path forward for a credible energy transition.
Resilience Is Key for the Energy Workforce
The ability to adapt and bounce back from challenges will determine who thrives in the coming years. Katie outlines why resilience — personal, organizational, and systemic — is the defining trait of the modern energy workforce.
Houston Energy & Climate Week: What to Know
Katie Mehnert on the creation and mission of Houston Energy & Climate Week — a platform for the energy capital of the world to lead the global conversation on the energy transition, climate, and workforce.
U.S. Energy Industry's Gender Gap Needs a Spotlight
Women comprise fewer than 20 percent of energy's global workforce. On International Women's Day, Katie makes the case for why closing the energy industry's gender gap is not just a matter of equity — it is an economic and innovation imperative.
3 Years After Harvey, Reservoir Flood Risks Remain
Three years after Hurricane Harvey destroyed her home, Katie Mehnert reflects on the persistent flood risks from Houston's reservoirs and the urgent need for infrastructure investment and climate resilience planning.
Invite Katie to Speak on These Issues
Katie brings a rare combination of industry credibility, policy expertise, and authentic storytelling to every stage. Book her for your next conference, panel, or media appearance.
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