The Growing Conflicts in the Global Energy Enterprise [video]

Abstract

The global energy enterprise has 3 largely conflicting primary drivers: Prosperity and Economic Growth: 6 billion of the earth’s 7.5 billion inhabitants are resolutely climbing the ladder of economic prosperity, with energy a critical enabler. Energy Security and Independence: The centrality of energy to economies and the vulnerability and volatility of global resources and supply lines mandates for cheap, secure, domestic, and sustainable energy supplies. Sustaining the Environment and Climate: Energy accounts for roughly 9% of US GDP. Emissions of all kinds result in environmental issues, and greenhouse gas emissions from energy production (85% of which is fossil fuel combustion) severely threatens the global climate. Every major economic region on the planet is in a unique and evolving balance point amongst these three drivers and global coordination is emerging. I would like the group to emerge with some idea of the primary factors and issues involved in these conflicts and the challenges and opportunities they present for humanity. Topics to be discussed include global energy development, new technologies and resultant capacity gains including fracking, renewables, storage, grid modernization, transportation transformation, efficiency and carbon abatement, and the future of nuclear energy. For the energy-geek there are numerous in-depth studies that can be queried to get a feel of the factors, their magnitudes, and their interactions – The World Energy Outlook, IEA Energy Outlook, BP Statistical Review of World Energy, The Quadrennial Technology Review (Energy.gov/QTR), and many more. These will be discussed.