Government Briefing: A Conversation with Deputy Assistant Secretary Elizabeth “Beth” Urbanas

This latest installment in our Government Briefings series will feature a fireside chat with Elizabeth “Beth” Urbanas, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Americas at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of International Affairs. Ms. Urbanas manages DOE’s bilateral and multilateral engagement with Asian and American countries, as well as its work in several forums including the North American Leaders’ Summit, the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, and APEC. DAS Urbanas will offer insight into the trajectory of U.S. energy policy and priorities going forward, as well as DOE’s engagement with Japan and the broader region. This dialogue will explore where U.S. energy policy is heading, how it intersects with Japan’s own energy strategy, and the areas of ongoing and future U.S.-Japan cooperation on energy security.

Featured Speaker

Elizabeth “Beth” Urbanas
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Americas at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of International Affairs

Beth Urbanas is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Americas at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of International Affairs, where she manages DOE’s bilateral and multilateral engagement with Asian and American countries and is responsible for its work in several multilateral fora including the North American Leaders’ Summit, the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, and APEC. She has served as a lead negotiator on the USMCA and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework’s Energy and Clean Economy pillar. She previously directed DOE’s European and Eurasian Affairs, overseeing G20 and G7 work, and spent 14 years at the U.S. Treasury Department, where she created and directed the Office of Environment and Energy, helped design the Climate Investment Funds and Green Climate Fund, and represented the U.S. on several international boards, including the World Bank. She also represented the United States in UNFCCC climate  negotiations’ finance channel from 2007 to 2013. She holds a B.A. from the College of William and Mary, an M.A. from the State University of New York at Albany, and an M.B.A. from George Mason University.

Meet the Moderator

Yuka Hayashi
Vice President at The Asia Group

Yuka Hayashi is a Vice President at The Asia Group and a member of the firm’s Japan Practice, where she oversees the team’s research and analytical work across the Washington and Tokyo offices. She brings years of experience as a journalist in Japan and the United States, having spent two decades at The Wall Street Journal covering trade and economic security policy in Washington, as well as Japan’s economy, society, and East Asian geopolitics as a Journal correspondent in Tokyo from 2004 to 2015, including a year reporting on the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear accident. Her journalism has been recognized by the National Press Club, the Gerald Loeb Awards, and the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. She started her career in journalism at Reuters and covered economic policy, business and finance at Dow Jones in New York and Tokyo. Yuka, a USJC Council Leader, served as co-chair of the DC region between 2024 and 2025. She is also a senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Waseda University and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.