With so much uncertainty on the horizon for the energy sector, panelists and experts stressed the need for informed students like those at USC Marshall. In his closing remarks, G. Raymond Zage III, founder of the initiative and CEO of Tiga Investments Pte Ltd., spotlighted the crucial role of a robust curriculum around the subject.
“The thought that energy is fundamental to just about everything in business never rang more true,” Zage said. “In terms of what students should be learning as part of a business education, understanding energy is absolutely critical to understand.”
Although the future may be cloudy, industry leaders like Tom Jorden believe there are signs of light, thanks to the new generation of Trojans leading the way.
“This is a great institution and I love that you’re getting engaged in energy,” Jordan said to student attendees. “You will make the world better because of it.”
Across the summit, experts also reflected on major shifts in government policy and the resulting effects on the energy sector. Shon Hiatt reflected on how ZBEI has kept pace with the industry dynamics, affecting policy and driving growth in California and beyond.
“Over the last year, our research has been requested and used by the top policy think tanks in the country, and has been presented in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, and has led to the largest shift in California energy policy in the last two decades,” Hiatt said.
Federal policy shifts were a major theme of the conference. From one administration to another, energy companies are struggling to keep up with contradicting agendas, regulations, and approaches.
In the panel, “Energy Finance,” Stephen Trauber, managing director, chairman, and global head of energy and clean technology at Moelis, discussed how partisanship and polarization have complicated how companies map out their financial future.
“Where we are today and where we’re going to be four years from now has a lot to do with who’s in office and who’s making policy not just here, but in Europe and other places … it’s become very challenging to [invest long term],” said Trauber.
The panel “Hydrocarbon Energy” explored the intersection of technology, renewable resources, and mining operations. Tom Jorden, CEO and president of Coterra Energy, argued energy discussions should exist outside of the political spectrum. He likened energy accessibility to prosperity and wealth development, positing that all power, from green energy to coal, provides more opportunity to all people, but those opportunities won’t arrive with partisan divisions bogging down progress.
One area of political agreement may be nuclear energy. In the panel, “Nuclear Energy,” John Hopkins, president and CEO of Nuscale Power, expressed his optimism for legislation and progress in the sector.
“When I go on the hill, we have bilateral support that’s phenomenal right now, both sides of the aisle recognizing that nuclear energy needs to be part of the mix with renewables,” Hopkins said.
In the panel, “Mining and Metals,” Rodrigo Barbosa MBA ’02, president and CEO of Aura Minerals spotlighted the link between traditional energy sectors like mining and new sustainable practices. Because of the power needed to create new green infrastructure, Barbosa said it’s essential for the two fields to work together.
“There’s no green energy without copper, lithium, nuclear. There’s no way the world will be able to change from carbon to electric without a significant amount of mining,” Barbosa said. “We should not ask if we want mining or not, we should ask how. Let’s do it the right way.”
