Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is slated to be a speaker at the closing session of the National Governors Association, which today hosted Vice President Mike Pence.
Incoming NGA chair and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval originally made the announcement about Saturday’s big speaker.
“Elon Musk has a vision of a connected world, where innovation and technology take center stage,” Sandoval said in a statement. “In Nevada, we share this vision and are proud to be home to the Tesla Gigafactory. By 2018, the gigafactory will reach full capacity to produce more lithium ion batteries annually than were produced worldwide in 2013 supporting the further electrification and modernization of the transportation sector.”
Musk will be part of a conversation on emerging technologies and their impact on the energy and transportation sectors titled Ahead of the Curve: Innovation Governors.
“I’m honored to speak with the nation’s governors and highlight the important work Gov. Sandoval is doing in Nevada and with the National Governors Association,” Musk said.
Winter 2017 NGA meeting (Source: National Governors Association)
The NGA summer meeting will see over 30 governors representing U.S. states and territories as they meet to discuss topics such as cybersecurity, the global economy and in Musk’s case, innovation.
“The topic I have chosen for my NGA chair’s initiative will explore recent advancements in technology and bring to the forefront conversations taking place across the country on new ideas and industries that will soon affect every aspect of citizens’ lives and states’ economies,” Sandoval said. “I am thrilled to announce that over the next year, we will highlight these innovative technologies and examine how governors and those we govern can stay one step ahead in this rapidly changing world.”
The event website states that “governors are looking for fresh ideas on how to take proactive measures, form partnerships and enact policies that can foster new technologies and tackle the challenges these technologies sometimes present.”
Ahead of the Curve begins tomorrow at 1:45 p.m. EST and will be live from Rhode Island until 3 p.m. Musk fans can live stream the talk here.
