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Columbia Energy Exchange

Columbia Energy Exchange features in-depth conversations with the world’s top energy and climate leaders from government, business, academia and civil society. The program explores today’s most pressing opportunities and challenges across energy sources, financial markets, geopolitics and climate change as well as their implications for both the U.S. and the world.
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Now displaying: 2018
Dec 31, 2018

Solar energy has enjoyed extraordinary growth in recent years, thanks largely to declining costs and commercial investments, but public policy has played a big role, too. So, what lies in store for solar in 2019, amid increasingly ominous reports about climate change and ongoing debates over the role of federal and state policies?

In this edition of the Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless talks to Abigail Ross Hopper, the president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the U.S. trade group for solar energy. Abby joined SEIA in 2017 after having run the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management at U.S. Department of the Interior during the Obama administration. Before that, she served as director of the Maryland Energy Administration, energy adviser to then Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and deputy general counsel with the Maryland Public Service Commission. As such she’s learned firsthand how policy is made at the state and federal levels, and now represents the US solar industry.

Bill and Abby sat down at her office in Washington to discuss the condition of solar energy in the U-S today, the prospects for federal and state policies governing this sector, and the opportunities and challenges for leaders in this field like Abby.

Dec 24, 2018

Cybersecurity is becoming a bigger focus for the United States as it strives to protect critical infrastructure from foreign adversaries and other intruders, and no infrastructure is more vital than that involving the delivery of electricity and other forms of energy.

In this edition of the Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless sits down with Karen S. Evans, a recently confirmed assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Evans heads DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response, which was established earlier this year by Energy Secretary Rick Perry to place more accountability at the agency for these critical responsibilities.

Bill stopped by DOE headquarters in Washington this fall to discuss with Evans what the establishment of her new office means for DOE’s responsibilities in cybersecurity and what she will focus on in the days ahead. They also talked about the type of risks facing the U.S. electric grid, how the government and industry are responding to them. 

They also discussed the relationship between Evans' cybersecurity responsibilities and a broader effort at DOE to promote resiliency throughout the U.S. grid, including coal, nuclear and other types of electric power generation. 

As DOE’s highest official for cybersecurity, Evans brings a long record of experience in information technology, having served as Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government and Information Technology (IT) at the Office of Management and Budget during the administration of George W. Bush. More recently, she was national director of the U.S. Cyber Challenge, a public-private program to help address the skills gap in the cybersecurity field.

Dec 17, 2018

The recent passing of President George H.W. Bush has spurred an interest in his energy and environmental policy and its legacy. In the latest Columbia Energy Exchange podcast, host Jason Bordoff sat down with William Reilly, who was the EPA Administrator during President George H.W. Bush’s Administration.  

Bill recounts the significance of the environment in Bush’s presidential campaign, which led to landmark environmental policies, and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and significance of the Clean Air Act of 1990. He describes what it was like working for the Administration, including internal divisions on the environment. Jason and Bill discuss other notable milestones like the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Global Change Research Act of 1990, and the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Jason and Bill also cover carbon pricing, climate policy, and what needs to happen to encourage both sides of the aisle to work together in solving these pressing issues.

In addition to his time with the Bush administration, Bill served as a senior staff member at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, under President Nixon. President Clinton appointed him as a founding Trustee of the Presidio Trust of San Francisco.  President Obama appointed him co-chair of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and the Future of Offshore Drilling. Bill served as president of World Wildlife Fund and later chairman of the board. He has also served in the U.S. Army. He’s currently on a number of private sector and non-profit boards. Bill holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Yale University, a Law Degree from Harvard, and a Master’s Degree from Columbia University.  

Dec 10, 2018

The Trump Administration’s approach to energy, climate change and environmental policy shows a marked departure from the path put forward by the previous administration. On this edition of the Columbia Energy Exchange, host Jason Bordoff sat down in Washington to discuss the outlook for federal energy and environmental policy with Michael Catanzaro, the former Special Assistant to President Trump for Domestic Energy and Environmental Policy at the National Economic Council. He is now a Partner at CGCN Group, an issue advocacy and lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. 

Jason and Michael discuss the current and future policy outlook and the potential impact of the recent U.S. midterm election, in which the Democrats took over the majority in the House of Representatives. Michael and Jason also discuss the Trump administration’s policy priorities, approach to climate change, whether opportunities exist for bipartisan cooperation, and the changing impact of falling oil prices on the U.S. economy as the nation has become a net energy exporter.

Michael also shared his thoughts on the respective roles of states and federal government in shaping energy and environmental policy, the future of the electricity grid and the implications of renewables on other power generation sources.

Dec 3, 2018

OPEC and non-OPEC countries will meet in Vienna this week to decide whether to cut oil production to prop up tumbling prices. This comes amid high output from Saudi Arabia, Russia and the U.S. and slowing demand for oil in several non-OECD countries.

On this edition of the Columbia Energy Exchange, host Jason Bordoff talks to Paul Horsnell, global head of commodities at Standard Chartered Plc, a multinational banking and financial services company based in London. Previously, Paul was managing director and head of commodities research at Barclays Capital, head of energy research at JPMorgan and assistant director for research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

Paul and Jason got together in Vienna ahead of the OPEC meeting to discuss the decline in oil prices over the past few months, the impact of rising U.S. shale oil production, President Trump’s pressure on Saudi Arabia for lower prices, Russia’s role in decisions on oil production and other market developments. They addressed, too, what might be expected of this significant meeting.

Nov 26, 2018

A new president takes office in Mexico on December 1. Andrés Manuel López Obrador easily won Mexico’s presidential election on July 1 as a populist representing a party he founded four years ago. His nation’s energy future is among the critical issues he will face.

On this edition of the Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless interviews Amb. Carlos Pascual, a senior vice president at IHS Markit, where he concentrates on worldwide energy issues and international affairs. Carlos served as U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2009 to 2011 and to Ukraine from 2000 to 2003. At the U.S. State Department, he established and directed the agency’s Energy Resources Bureau as a special envoy and coordinator for international affairs from 2011 to 2014. He is also a non-resident fellow at CGEP.

Bill caught up with Carlos recently during a trip Carlos made to Washington, D.C., from his home base in Mexico City. They discussed, among other topics:

  1. This significant change in Mexico’s leadership and its serious implications for the nation’s energy future, especially its proud but troubled history as an oil producer;
  2. The election campaign of President-elect López Obrador and his political party, the National Regeneration Movement, or MORENA, as its known, and particularly his views on energy reforms implemented under his predecessor, President Enrique Peña Nieto;
  3. Whether López Obrador will continue to make Mexico’s oil and natural gas activities open to foreign participation and what steps the new leader thinks are necessary to revive Mexico’s national oil company, Petróleos Mexicanos, or Pemex; and,
  4. Energy trade between the U.S. and Mexico and what may lie in store.
Nov 19, 2018

Back on November 4, a raft of U.S. sanctions on Iran snapped back into force, six months after the Trump Administration withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal. How Iran, U.S. allies, and U.S. competitors react to the stresses brought about by Trump’s decision will have far-reaching impacts for geopolitics, global energy markets and security, and financial markets.

On the latest episode of the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast, host Jason Bordoff discusses the guideposts to watch out for in this space over the next year with Richard Nephew, a senior research scholar at CGEP and the former Principal Deputy Coordinator for Sanctions Policy at the Department of State. In his prior role Richard was instrumental in designing the sanctions regime against Iran as well as the deal that lifted them, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Jason and Richard recently sat down in New York to discuss the current state of sanctions policy against Iran, the practical aspects of enforcement given today's landscape, the role that India and China will play in determining the effectiveness of sanctions implementation, and many other issues. 

Nov 12, 2018

Energy and the environment may not have been leading national issues in the U.S. mid-terms elections, but the results will nevertheless influence public policy in Washington, D.C. and states across the nation. 

On this edition of the Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless sits down with Kevin Book, a managing director of the consulting firm ClearView Energy Partners, to talk about the election results, including what they mean for energy and environmental policies and regulations during the next two years of the Trump administration.

As well as heading the research team at ClearView, Kevin is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Petroleum Council, as well as a non-resident senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Prior to co-founding ClearView, Kevin worked as a senior energy analyst for a national investment bank.

In addition to discussing the federal policy landscape looking out to 2020, when Bill and Kevin got together in Washington, D.C. they also looked at key referenda at the state level, including measures calling for a carbon fee in Washington state, higher renewable energy standards in Arizona and Nevada, and restrictions on oil and natural gas drilling in Colorado.

Nov 5, 2018

From economic sanctions, to geopolitical concerns over cross-border infrastructure projects, to an evolving global market for natural gas, a set of shifting dynamics are having a substantial impact on Russia's energy sector. 

To discuss these issues and more, host Jason Bordoff recently sat down with Dr. Tatiana Mitrova, Director of the SKOLKOVO Energy Centre in Moscow and a Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy, on the latest episode of the Columbia Energy Exchange. Tatiana has over twenty years of experience in dealing with Russian and global energy markets, including production, transportation, demand, policy, pricing and market restructuring.

During their conversation, Tatiana and Jason discussed Russia's oil and gas sector, including Russia’s export policies and its relationship with other producer countries. Tatiana also discussed the economic and geopolitical consequences of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. Other topics in their conversation included Gazprom's response to the changing global gas market, Russian gas market liberalization efforts, and the future of Russia's relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Oct 29, 2018

On this edition of the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast, host Bill Loveless is joined by Dr. Marcia McNutt, the president of the National Academy of Sciences. 

Bill visited Dr. McNutt, not long after the release of the recent report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to learn more about the latest findings in climate science and the challenges of conveying that message to the public. The mission of the Academy is to promote the use of science to benefit society and inform policy debates.

Dr. McNutt was named president of the Academy in 2016, becoming the first women to hold the position. Previously, she was the editor in chief of the journal Science, director of the U.S. Geological Survey during the Obama administration, and president and CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. She holds a BA in physics from Colorado College and a Ph.D. in earth sciences from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Dr. McNutt and Bill discussed the new UN report as well as the overall state of climate science. They also touched on the public response to warnings about climate change and new steps the Academy is planning to inform the debate. Finally, they addressed one of Dr. McNutt’s top priorities: diversity at NAS. In short, she wants to change the face of this renowned institution.

Oct 22, 2018

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently produced a report showing that the world needs to cut carbon pollution far more quickly than current rates to avoid severe consequences. But how can the global community achieve its climate goals when the conversation around climate change is often hyper-polarized?

To discuss this question and other issues, on the latest episode of the Columbia Energy Exchange host Jason Bordoff sat down with Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist, professor of political science, and director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University. Dr. Hayhoe has been a recipient of numerous awards, including TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers.

Over the course of the conversation Jason and Dr. Hayhoe discussed how she merges her faith as an evangelical Christian and her scientific professional work, what needs to be done to win hearts and minds on the issue of climate change, and the role that renewables and policy can play in addressing this global challenge. 

Oct 12, 2018

During the recent Climate Week in New York City, the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), a collection of global energy companies, made several announcements. First, OGCI added three new US-based members -- Exxon, Chevron, and Occidental Petroleum -- bringing the total number of companies in the group to 13. Second, OGCI announced its first collective methane reduction target for member companies, a 0.25 percent leakage rate.

To discuss these issues and more, host Jason Bordoff sat down with Dr. Pratima Rangarajan, CEO of OGCI Climate Investments, on the latest episode of the Columbia Energy Exchange. OGCI Climate Investments is the arm of the organization that is investing more than $1 billion in what they describe as innovative startups to lower the carbon footprints of the energy and industrial sectors. Pratima has previously held various senior positions in the renewable energy field, including roles at GE and Vestas Wind Systems.

During their conversation Pratima and Jason discussed the history of OGCI and the goals of the Climate Investments portfolio. Pratima shared her view on what is needed to achieve deep decarbonization, the role for renewable energy and energy efficiency in that process, and the role of policy in driving down greenhouse gas emissions. 

Other topics discussed include what improvements are necessary to scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies, the use of satellites to continuously measure methane emissions, and what the future global energy system will look like if we successfully get on track to meet the necessary emissions reductions targets. 

Oct 8, 2018

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks are becoming increasingly important to judging the credit worthiness of electric utilities, especially as climate change makes their work more challenging. 

On this episode of the Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless talks to Jim Hempstead, a managing director in Moody’s Global Project and Infrastructure Finance Group. In his role at Moody's, one of the largest credit ratings firms in the world, Jim helps oversee the North American Regulated Utility and Power Team. He also heads Moody’s working group in charge of ESG issues in the Americas.

In the conversation with Bill, Jim makes clear that defining ESG standards is still very much a work in progress for the credit rating firms and the companies they assess for credit worthiness. Nevertheless, ESG metrics are an important means of evaluating the utility sector where shifts are occurring not only due to climate change but also from public policies, market forces, and public attitudes about how electricity is produced and used.  

Jim and Bill also talk about the relevance of government policy and regulation as it relates to ESG and the power sector, including recent developments in Washington D.C. and the enactment of an historic climate law in California. 

Sep 29, 2018

In recent years, renewable energy has seen dramatic cost declines and large annual growth rates. While the share of renewable energy in the global fuel mix has grown, the total volume of energy produced from fossil fuels has increased as well. Are downward trends in cost enough on their own to spur more rapid growth of clean energy? What is the role for public policy, financing models, and innovation efforts across the renewable energy landscape?
 
On a new episode of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Jason Bordoff sits down with Adnan Amin, the Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency, to discuss these and other questions. IRENA supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future and serves as a platform for international cooperation. Adnan has more than 25 years of experience in renewable energy, sustainable development, and environmental policy. He joined the Agency in 2010 as Interim Director General and in 2011 was elected as IRENA’s first Director General.
 
Adnan and Jason caught up to discuss IRENA’s mission and the future of renewables on the global market. Adnan discusses why policy still has an important role to play in the energy transition and provides his thoughts on 100% clean energy, EVs, and the role that renewables can play in emerging markets.
 
Other topics discussed include the continued threat of geopolitics, how utilities will need to adapt their business models to a low-cost electricity world, and the sustainability of China’s growth model.

Sep 24, 2018

Innovation has resulted in remarkable advances in clean energy technology with solar and wind energy systems becoming increasingly competitive in the U.S. And more breakthroughs are in the pipeline, as ambitious scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs make headway on products and services that will change the way we produce, use and save energy.

But getting a good head start on innovation is challenging for pioneers, who often lack the execution capacity to design, build and test their inventions on their own. That’s where institutions like Greentown Labs can play a big role.

On this edition of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless visits Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA, and meets with its CEO, Dr. Emily Reichert, to talk about the outlook for clean technology in the U.S. and what programs like hers can do to help entrepreneurs get off the ground. They discuss the pace and scale of clean energy innovation today as well as the investment climate for clean tech and some government programs that aim to help stimulate breakthroughs.

Greentown Labs bills itself as the largest clean tech incubator in the U.S., with 100,000 square feet of space and more than 70 startup companies housed in a renovated century-old industrial complex just outside Boston. There, budding companies are building prototypes, developing business plans and taking other steps necessary for commercial success. Areas of focus among the companies include energy generation, distribution and storage; energy-efficient buildings; transportation, agriculture and robotics.

Sep 14, 2018

Since the discovery of rich oil and gas deposits in the North Sea over 50 year ago, Norway has become one of the leading producers and exporters of petroleum products. A company that has been central to the development of Norway’s natural resources is Equinor, formally known as Statoil.
 
On a new episode of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Jason Bordoff talks with Eldar Saetre, President and CEO of Equinor. They spoke in Stavanger, Norway, on the sidelines of the recent ONS Conference. Eldar joined Equinor nearly forty years ago and has held numerous roles including CFO and Executive Vice President for Marketing, Processing & Renewable Energy.
 
Jason and Eldar discuss a range of topics including the key innovations and trends impacting the energy industry and the clean energy transition. Other topics include Eldar’s thoughts on global oil and gas markets, the role of geopolitics, and how Equinor thinks about risk. They also discuss the company’s recent name change and the motivations behind that decision. 

Sep 7, 2018

Hurricane Maria was one of the most devastating storms to ever hit the United States, leaving a path of death and destruction across Puerto Rico last September. The electric grid faced extensive damage that put virtually the entire population without power for weeks and months.

On this edition of the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast, host Bill Loveless talks to Carlos Torres, a former official with Consolidated Edison in New York, and the man assigned by the Governor of Puerto Rico with the difficult task of coordinating the restoration of electricity for the island. Carlos spent more than 30 years at Con Ed managing emergency management and storm restoration efforts, including overseeing the utility’s response to major storms like Super Storm Sandy and Hurricane Irene, and emergencies like the September 11 attack at the World Trade Center and the 2003 Northeast Blackout.

But putting the lights back on in Puerto Rico was the most challenging mission of his career, Carlos says. In fact, he told a congressional committee that the damage caused by Hurricane Maria on the island was unlike anything he and others in the industry had ever seen on the U.S mainland.

Bill and Carlos met recently in Washington, D.C. at the Edison Electric Institute, the trade association for investor-owned utilities in the United States where Carlos has worked as a consultant since October. With electricity now nearly restored in Puerto Rico after a year, Carlos talks about the difficulties of achieving that goal, and lessons learned regarding making electric grids resilient to Mother Nature in Puerto Rico and other parts of the United States. He and Bill also touched on the role public policy plays in promoting such resilience, especially now as we find ourselves in the midst of another hurricane season. 

Aug 29, 2018

Leaders from around the world will gather in San Francisco soon to celebrate the achievements of states, regions, cities, corporations and others at the sub-national level with respect to climate action. Organizers of the Sept. 12-14 Global Climate Action Summit say the meeting will also serve as a launch pad for deeper commitments to put the world on track to prevent dangerous climate change and realize the historic Paris agreement – even as the U.S. government under the Trump administration takes a different course.

On this edition of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless talks to Carter Roberts, the president and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the United States. WWF is one of the partners in the Global Climate Action Summit, along with other groups including C40Cities, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ceres and the United Nations Foundation.

Bill and Carter recently sat down at Carter’s office in Washington, D.C. as he prepared for the Summit. Among the topics they touched on were how this meeting, with its emphasis on the roles of sub-national entities in reducing carbon emissions, will differ from other major gatherings on climate change. They also talked about whether D.C. is getting any closer to having a bipartisan discussion on climate change, including the potential impact of a recent bill by a Republican lawmaker to establish a carbon tax in the U.S. Finally, Carter elaborated on the importance of land conservation to a sustainable environment, which will be one of the focal points of the San Francisco summit.

Carter earned his MBA from Harvard Business School following a BA from Princeton University, and subsequently held marketing management positions with Proctor & Gamble and Gillette. He went on to lead international conservation and science programs for 15 years with The Nature Conservancy before joining WWF in 2004.

Aug 27, 2018

On this episode of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless speaks with Paula Gold Williams, the President and CEO of CPS Energy in San Antonio, Texas, the largest public electric and gas utility in the U.S. Bill and Paula talk about the changes taking place in the utility sector, with new technology and new expectations making the business more dynamic than ever. One of these areas that Bill and Paula tackle is the emergence of Smart Cities, where the grid will play a central role. 

Bill and Paula also discuss how the changes in the industry are opening new career opportunities and creating a more diverse work force. They specifically focus on the growing role of women in the energy sector, a topic Paula regularly speaks on. 

Paula Gold Williams joined CPS in 2004 and held a number of top positions at the utility, including Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, before being named President and CEO in 2016. 

Aug 16, 2018

As the energy world becomes more integrated, more dynamic and more complex, the need to try and better understand the outlook for the industry only grows. One publication that helps us to do this is the Bloomberg New Energy Outlook Report, an annual long-term economic forecast of the world’s power sector.
 
On a new episode of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Jason Bordoff sits down with Amy Grace, Head of North American Research at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Amy leads the team responsible for producing the New Energy Outlook and communicating analysis on economics, policy, and the strategic dynamics of the North American power sector. 
 
Amy and Jason caught up in New York to discuss the 2018 outlook Report. Amy explains what differentiates Bloomberg’s Report from other energy publications, BNEF's global outlook for renewables, fossil fuels, and the energy transition as a whole. She also explains why, according to BNEF, solar and wind have already won the race for cheap bulk electricity generation. Jason and Amy also discuss the role of policy for renewables and the likely impact of President Trump’s solar tariffs.
 
Other topics discussed on this episode include the challenges and the opportunities for electric vehicles and how the transition in the transportation sector will impact oil demand, the electricity sector, and global emissions. Finally, Amy highlights a few key energy technologies we should pay attention to moving forward.

Aug 10, 2018

What does it take to move the needle on our energy and climate challenges? How can government, civil society, individuals, and businesses work together so our collective action is greater than the sum of individual contributions? To help shed light on these and other issues, Jason Bordoff recently sat down with Andy Karsner, a Managing Partner at Emerson Collective, an organization focused on spurring change and promoting equality.

Jason and Andy discussed Emerson Collective's theory of change, how the organization measures impact, and how those factors lead to a holistic engagement strategy across technology, policy, finance and network building. Their conversation touched on the benefits and the limits of markets as a source of solutions to our climate challenges and the need to transition from static to dynamic policy structures. They also discussed the changing role of utilities and electricity market regulation as well as the privacy and security considerations of internet-enabled clean technology and distributed generation. Finally, Jason and Andy talked about the need for leadership and national strategies and stretch-goals to achieve ambitious outcomes and maintain US competitiveness. 

In addition to his role at the Emerson Collective, Andy is a Senior Strategist and Space Cowboy at Google X, and Founder and Executive Chairman of Manifest Energy. From 2005 to 2008, he served as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the US Department of Energy, managing an annual budget of nearly $2 billion across a portfolio focused on applied science, research and development.

Aug 6, 2018

From climate policy to geopolitical tensions and sanctions to technological innovation, the energy world is facing enormous change, complexity and uncertainty. To discuss some of today’s most timely issues across the energy landscape, Jason Bordoff recently sat down with Dr. Ernest Moniz, the former U.S. Secretary of Energy.

As Secretary, Dr. Moniz worked across a range of issues from nuclear security and strategic stability to technological innovation and renewable energy to energy efficiency and climate policy. He also served in government as the Energy Department's Under Secretary from 1997-2001 and is the Founding Director of the MIT Energy Initiative and Director of the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment. Dr. Moniz is currently CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a Distinguished Fellow at the Emerson Collective, and CEO of the Energy Futures Initiative. 

On this episode of Columbia Energy Exchange, Dr. Moniz and Jason discussed the status of the global transition to a lower carbon future and what will be needed to not simply meet, but exceed, the goals of the Paris Agreement. Dr. Moniz spoke about the intersections between technological progress, policy frameworks, and business model innovation to drive decarbonization. Dr. Moniz discussed the state of nuclear power technology and the potential for escalating proliferation risks in light of current US-Russia tensions. Dr. Moniz and Jason also discussed the outlook for the Iran nuclear agreement, and what the implications may be for energy markets, following the Trump Administration’s decision to withdraw from the deal. 

Jul 30, 2018

The global natural gas market is undergoing dramatic changes, with additional LNG supplies set to hit the market in coming years, price competition between natural gas and renewables becoming fiercer, supply security concerns across Europe, and fugitive methane emissions as an increasingly large climate concern.
 
On a new episode of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Jason Bordoff is joined by Maarten Wetselaar, the Integrated Gas & New Energies Director and Member of the Executive Committee at Royal Dutch Shell, to talk about these issues and more. Maarten joined Shell straight out of university and has held numerous roles across the downstream, trading, and upstream businesses.
 
Maarten and Jason discussed Shell’s Gas and New Energy Portfolio, one of Shell’s largest businesses. Maarten provided his view of the outlook for global gas demand and also gave his thoughts on the way in which gas and renewables can work together as the world transitions towards a lower carbon future.
 
Other topics discussed include the integration of BG Group into Shell, Shell's goal to become an integrated power provider, the role that Shell can play to reduce its own carbon footprint -- particularly with respect to methane leakage -- and the role that policy can play in tackling this critical issue.  
 

Jul 23, 2018

As energy and climate policy seem to become increasingly polarized at the national level, its often illuminating to look at states that have navigated the balance between oil and gas development and accelerating a transition to a clean energy future. One of those states is Colorado, which has significant oil and gas production but also is a very large renewable energy producer and home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). 

On a new episode of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Jason Bordoff sits down with U.S. Senator Mike Bennet (D-CO) to discuss energy and climate policy in Washington, D.C. and his home state of Colorado. They talk about what ‘working across the aisle’ entails in politics, the impacts of climate change on Senator Bennet's home state, and how Colorado is balancing environmental protection with all forms of energy production. 
 
Other topics discussed include Senator Bennet’s thoughts on the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal; the expansion of oil and gas drilling across the U.S.; trade tariffs in the context of renewable energy; and the need for young people to participate in U.S. politics.

Jul 16, 2018

The U.S. is becoming a leader in the global market for liquefied natural gas (LNG), amid record gas production at home and growing demand for the fuel abroad. What opportunities does that present for the U.S.? And what challenges follow from this changing global market?

In this edition of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless sits down with Meg Gentle, the president and CEO of Tellurian Inc. Bill and Meg got together outside the World Gas Conference in Washington, D.C. to talk about the emergence of the LNG export business in the U.S. and the opportunities for sales of gas in China, Europe and the rest of the world. They also discussed potential obstacles to growth in that business, including the prospect of trade wars between the U.S. and other nations. Finally, they touched on her status as one of the relatively few women at the top of the corporate ladder in the oil and gas business, and whether she thinks that will change any time soon.

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