is crucial to sustain economic developments and growth. Hochstein said: "Here in Washington, I think we are the last city on the planet…where we still talk about fossil fuel versus renewables as some kind of zero-sum game […] It is not one or the other. It is going to have to be both because we are going to need the baseload and we are going to need the fuels that will transition us to the future." At the 2015 Renewable Energy Transition event hosted by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center, Hochstein stated that "unlike oil and gas, the technological advances we’re seeing in renewables are making them cheaper and better." He further said: "U.S. energy security, energy sustainability and climate objectives are mutually reinforcing. As such, we are working to promote energy efficiency, conservation and transformation of energy systems. We are encouraging market reforms, such as the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, that can address overall energy demand." Hochstein has been interviewed by national and international media, commenting on national and international energy policy, energy security, and foreign policy. Due to environmental and economic considerations, the Biden administration and the subject have opposed the proposed EastMed pipeline in favor of an Egyptian route. Memberships Hochstein serves on the board of the Atlantic Council and the U.S.-Indian Business Council. Hochstein is a former member of the supervisory board of the Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz. He was appointed in 2017 and resigned in October 2020 claiming that the company was returning to corrupted practices. In October 2019 Hochstein was mentioned by former U.S. officials in relation to the Trump–Ukraine scandal. It was reported that as early as May 2019 Hochstein alerted the National Security Council staff that Rudy Giuliani and Gordon Sondland's pressure tactics were rattling Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. It was also reported that Rick Perry planned to have Hochstein replaced as a member of the board at Naftogaz with someone aligned with Republican interests. Perry denied the reports. References External links 1973 births American lobbyists American Orthodox Jews American people of Israeli descent Energy policy of the United States Biden administration personnel Living people Petroleum politics Place of birth missing (living people) United States Department of State officials United States Special Envoys Washington, D.C., Democrats