With imported petroleum dropping from 60 percent of total consumption to less than 40 percent in the past six years, in part due to the explosion of onshore U.S. oil exploration and development, the United States has made progress toward its goal of reducing dependence on foreign oil.
On March 5, energy leaders will come together with faculty of the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business Energy Institute for a national energy symposium with the objective of developing a long-term energy strategy for the country. Some of the nation’s leading energy executives, economists and national security leaders will share their diverse perspectives to identify priorities and challenges in shaping a cohesive energy strategy and enabling policy.
“Our country has made significant progress in recent years in increasing our supply of oil and gas in the U.S. and decreasing our reliance on foreign oil imports,” said Dipankar Ghosh, executive director of the Price College of Business Energy Institute. “This newfound growth in our domestic resource base has turned the tables on our thinking regarding energy security in our country’s future. How we go about achieving that security has remained elusive, and the subject of much debate among stakeholders. Very little detail has been put forward in the public debate. We want to ensure all the stakeholders realize the tremendous opportunity we have to achieve real energy security by presenting a balanced and comprehensive look at strategic imperatives for the U.S. and developing a blueprint for an effective strategy that assures the long-term benefits are achieved.”
The long-term energy strategy symposium organizers expect to develop will be designed to address the realities of energy resource options, take into account global resources, competition and U.S. options, and provide a balanced view of resource reliability, economics and environmental impact. Panelists also will address the role of government in energy policy that they believe would enable successful implementation for a cohesive, long-term energy strategy.
The keynote speaker, Adam Sieminski, administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration, will address the statistical evidence that supports the prospects of longer term, sustainable energy security in the United States as well as his assessment of the viability of options available to energy policymakers.
Other panelists are:
• Tom Fanning - CEO, Southern Co.
• Mark Mills - CEO, digital power and senior fellow, Manhattan Institute
• Al Walker - CEO, Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
• Greg Ebel – CEO, Spectra Energy Corp.
• Jeff Holzschuh – vice chairman, Morgan Stanley
• George Kaiser – Energy Investor
• General Wesley Clark – retired supreme allied commander Europe, NATO
• R. James Woolsey - former director, Central Intelligence Agency
• Alan Armstrong - CEO, Williams Cos.
• Greg Armstrong – CEO, Plains All American Pipeline
• Joe Craft – CEO, Alliance Resource Partners
• Philip Lambert - CEO, Lambert Energy Advisory
• Edward Morse - global head of commodities research, Citigroup
• Robert Sheppard - former CEO, BP-TNK
• J. Mike Stice - CEO, Access Midstream Partners
“We hope the recommendations we make as a result of this symposium will gain widespread support from stakeholders in the energy discussions and lead policymakers to embrace realistic, achievable goals with specific strategic direction that will enable us to achieve the best long-term benefit to our country,” said Ghosh. “We’re looking for substance, not rhetoric. That’s our goal.”
The Energy Symposium will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, in Meacham Auditorium of Oklahoma Memorial Union, 900 Asp Ave., on the OU Norman campus. There is no cost to attend, but space is limited, and registration is required. To register for the conference, visit http://price.ou.edu/energysymposium.
