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1. Supply and Demand in a Time of Changing Geopolitics and a Changing Climate

Author:
Aspen Institute
Publication Date:
01-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The Forum on Global Energy, Economy & Security is an annual conversation to discuss global energy markets, crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas supply and demand, midstream, shale development, geopolitics, energy security, and environmental topics. The forum features Aspen’s time-honored moderated roundtable discussion format which, while each session is introduced by brief presentations, stresses dialogue between participants rather than conference-style speaker presentations with question and answer only. The forum is enhanced by an informal atmosphere and a not-for-attribution rule that encourages new thinking, dissenting opinions, and frank discussion.
Topic:
Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, Natural Resources, and Renewable Energy
Political Geography:
Global Focus

2. Principled Governance of Shale Resources

Author:
Aspen Institute
Publication Date:
05-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
Across the US there are a wide variety of opportunities to produce oil and natural gas. These opportunities have been greatly enhanced in recent years with the advent of directional drilling technology combined with hydraulic fracturing completion techniques, which have expanded the economically recoverable oil and natural gas reserves from shale resources. At the same time, the development and production of shale resources have posed real challenges and potential risks to public health and the environment. Considering both the benefits and the potential risks, every state must decide whether new oil and natural gas production should occur.
Topic:
Energy Policy, Oil, Science and Technology, Natural Resources, Governance, Gas, and Productivity
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

3. Climate Change and National Security: How Can Public Policy Change the World?

Author:
Aspen Institute
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The Aspen Institute partnered with the University of Chicago’s Inter-Policy School Summit on March 1-3, 2019, to host 40 graduate students from around the world to explore and consider the intersection between Climate Change and National Security, a topic that will come to play an increasingly important role in the policy realm for decades to come. The participants were asked to research various topics within the larger theme and write white papers proposing rigorous and tangible solutions for the quaternary effects of climate change, especially when they pertain to national security.
Topic:
Security, Agriculture, Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, Migration, National Security, and Labor Issues
Political Geography:
United States of America and North America

4. Untangling the Power Cords

Author:
Michael Leifman
Publication Date:
08-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The US electricity sector is in the midst of several transformations. These transformations are intertwined, with policy innovation and technological innovation reinforcing each other. Some transformations are coincident and proceeding rapidly, such as the decreasing importance of coal in the overall fuel mix and the increasing importance of natural gas and renewables, while other transformations are happening independently and at different speeds, such as the diffusion of electric vehicles and the financial woes of the nuclear industry. Though the US power system’s regulatory structure has always been fragmented, the current plethora of state initiatives has further complicated the landscape. These transformations and complexities are so wide-ranging that it has become difficult for non-experts to grasp their full breadth, let alone their depth and nuance. An observer might see a web of tangled cords, each running into each other. This multi-part series is to provide a common understanding of, and common language for, the most important transformations currently underway in US electricity markets, and to distill them to their essence. We hope to untangle the multiple “power cords” and enable a clearer conversation about where our power system is headed.
Topic:
Energy Policy, Natural Resources, Electricity, and Renewable Energy
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

5. The New Energy Innovation Economy

Author:
Dave Grossman, Roger Ballentine, and Andy Karsner
Publication Date:
12-2015
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The 2015 Clean Energy Innovation Forum, “The New Energy Innovation Economy,” was co-chaired again this year by Roger Ballentine of Green Strategies and Andy Karsner of Manifest Energy. Topics discussed included the ongoing transformation of the energy user experience; distributed generation and disruption incumbent electricity business model; challenges in bridging the energy technology gap between development and adoption; and the impact of climate concerns on accelerating change.
Topic:
Climate Change, Economics, Energy Policy, Markets, and Science and Technology
Political Geography:
United States of America

6. Leaning Into the Energy System of the Future

Author:
Dave Grossman, Clint Vince, and Sue Tierney
Publication Date:
12-2015
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The 2015 Energy Policy Forum, “Leaning Into the Energy System of the Future,” was co-chaired by Sue Tierney, Managing Principal of The Analysis Group and former Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy, and Clint Vince, Chair of the U.S. Energy Practice at Dentons U.S. LLP. Topics discussed included new global energy pricing realities and the effects on domestic energy; the Clean Power Plan; the electricity source mix of the future; and new business models needed to deal with current markets realities.
Topic:
Climate Change, Energy Policy, Natural Resources, Global Markets, and Financial Markets
Political Geography:
United States of America

7. Regulation, Conversation, and Impact of Shale Gas and Oil in a Low Price Environment

Author:
David Grossman
Publication Date:
11-2015
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The 2015 Modern Shale Gas and Oil Production Forum, “Regulation, Conversation, and Impact of Shale Gas and Oil in a Low Price Environment,” convened about 60 invited energy leaders, including regulators from leading producing states and representatives from industry and the environmental community. The discussions covered a broad range of environmental and community effects related to shale gas and oil production, including water use and availability, surface and groundwater contamination, air emissions, land use impacts, induced seismicity, and local nuisance issues. The Forum also benefited this year from a meeting of state regulators that took place in the days immediately preceding the Forum. The focus of this meeting was to discuss the concept of a regulatory consultation and assessment process to promote continual regulatory improvement – an idea initially discussed during the 2014 Modern Shale Gas and Oil Production Forum.
Topic:
Energy Policy, Environment, Oil, Global Markets, Gas, and Regulation
Political Geography:
Global Markets

8. The New Pricing Reality in Global Oil and Gas Markets

Author:
Dave Grossman, Claire Farley, and Bill White
Publication Date:
11-2015
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The 2015 Forum on Global Energy Economy and Security, “The New Pricing Reality in Global Oil and Gas Markets,” was co-chaired by Claire Farley, Member at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company, and Bill White, Senior Advisor and Chairman of Lazard Houston and former Mayor of Houston. Topics discussed included the current and future drivers of global supply and demand for petroleum; specific regional changes and challenges; the global LNG market and market penetration for natural gas; environmental challenges that may impact oil and gas development; and the effect of new technology and data changing planning and investment.
Topic:
Economics, Energy Policy, Environment, Oil, and Global Markets
Political Geography:
Global Focus

9. Scaling Clean Energy: Lessons Learned and New Approaches

Author:
Roger Ballentine and Andy Karsner
Publication Date:
03-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
We are still in the early stages of a transformation of the U.S. electricity sector into a cleaner, more flexible, more resilient, and more dynamic system. The early history of investment in and adoption of clean energy technologies and practices has been mixed. The venture capital model has proven to be inadequate for scaling up clean energy, and anticipated policy developments have been slow to be realized. The sector-reshaping impact of unconventional gas, uneven capitalization of clean energy companies, and the mixed signals of government policymakers have slowed the march to a more distributed energy economy rooted in the greater use of renewables, the more efficient use of energy, and the optimization of information technologies in the energy sector.
Topic:
Climate Change, Economics, Energy Policy, Industrial Policy, Markets, and Science and Technology
Political Geography:
United States

10. Adapting to Plenty: Effects of the Oil and Gas Boom

Author:
Bill White and Leonard Coburn
Publication Date:
10-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The evolution from energy scarcity to abundance in the United States creates dislocations. Technology, infrastructure, laws, regulations, trade flows, and environmental and security policies developed during American energy deficits must be adapted to cope with its new energy prosperity. Significant improvements in oil and gas technology are leading to production increases outpacing projections. A need for infrastructure development follows energy production, necessitating adaptations. Laws passed in the 1970s during times of energy disruptions require reconsideration in a period of relative plenty. The shift of the United States and Canada from an oil and gas importing region to an exporting region has enormous global implications. Policies need to be readjusted in light of new realities, and the effects of the oil and gas boom in North America will require new thinking by governments, industry and consumers.
Topic:
Energy Policy, Oil, and Natural Resources
Political Geography:
United States and North America