General

Forecasting the future of natural gas

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What’s ahead for U.S. natural gas? What potential does this energy resource hold and what challenges are likely?

ConocoPhillips chairman and CEO James J. Mulva was one of several distinguished speakers on this topic at the daylong North American Energy Resources Summit held Jan. 18 by the Energy Forum of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.

The summit brought together prominent industry, environmental and academic leaders to discuss the great potential of North American oil and gas resources, particularly from unconventional sources such as shale and oil sands in Canada, and the environmental and political hurdles to development. Continue Reading →

How’s the state of the union? Depends upon whom you ask

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President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday was given in a context that underscored that the Republicans have no monopoly on resurrection. As the fortunes of Republican candidates have routinely skated to the precipice and back, so too has the president courted his political demise.

Written off only a few months ago by pundits and not a few voters, Obama’s prospects have been enhanced by several recent developments, including the killing of Sept. 11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden — an event Republican Mitch Daniels respectfully acknowledged in the Republican rebuttal to the state of the union. President Obama skillfully used this accomplishment at the beginning and end of his speech, not just to applaud our military but also as a nationally unifying moment that could teach us something about fighting our economic challenges. Continue Reading →

The rise of China and its energy implications

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Join us today for a live webcast of an Energy Forum conference about the future of China’s role in the energy sector and the global economy.

China will play a major role in shaping long-term global energy trends. Already, China’s growing economy has been a driver of global commodity markets in recent years. Soaring Chinese oil and natural gas demand has become a major feature influencing global energy market trends, and emerging shifts in Chinese energy and economic policy could potentially alter the future geopolitical and economic landscape.

The conference “The Rise of China and Its Energy Implications” investigates these trends and shifts by bringing together senior Chinese and U.S. officials, leading financial and energy analysts, academic scholars, and global oil industry leaders to address the emerging path of China’s energy sector as a transforming energy landscape shapes China’s economic role in relation the United States. Findings from a major Baker Institute energy study will be publicly released at this event. The study includes papers on Chinese energy policy and energy demand trends, Chinese oil and gas investment trends, and energy in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship.

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Embracing water conservation as a state priority; learn why water is not an option

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Given the recent record-breaking drought and heat our state has experienced, water—how much we have and how clean it is—has never been more relevant. We are at an important intersection right now, where precious resources like water meet humankind and our growing needs. Where do we stand at this intersection? When it comes to water, we actually have a crystal ball, and it shows us plenty. Continue Reading →