Global Energy Center

This week in oil markets has an air of suspended animation. Will an international production deal materialize? The answer is “perhaps,” but probably not in the volumes necessary to balance the market and only after Moscow extracts concessions.

Not including $3 billion for purchase of crude for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) or support for clean energy initiatives in the soon-to-be passed $2 trillion stimulus package is a missed opportunity and a lose-lose for US energy security and leadership on climate action.

The current drop in oil demand—caused, in large part, by severe reductions in travel due to the coronavirus—combined with the Saudi-Russia oil price war has simultaneously, if temporarily, lowered greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). However, the drop in GHG emissions is likely to be unsustainable in the long term, and the currently low cost of oil has raised questions about the future of clean energy deployment and climate action.

In order to meet growing global demand for electricity, and in response to an increase in renewables, power networks and markets are evolving and becoming increasingly interconnected. South and Southeast Asia have already had some success with interconnections, and China’s vision and Belt and Road Initiative loom large in the region, but there are geopolitical concerns to contend with. Could a US model manage these concerns? What is the state of regional power markets in Asia and investment in regional grid infrastructure, and what responses are we already seeing to emerging trends?

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is projected to experience significant demographic growth by 2050, growth which will have to be met with commensurate economic expansion and job opportunities, or the region will risk an increase in political instability. To meet this challenge, countries in the region must diversify their economies beyond the energy sector and expand their energy sector beyond hydrocarbons. What are the key trends that MENA countries will have to contend with, what is already being done, and what further steps should be taken?

Many oil and gas companies have recognized the need to decarbonize the energy system to avoid the impacts of climate change. Initial industry efforts to play a role in the energy transition show sincerity and promise. Yet the urgent need for more oil and gas production for the foreseeable future suggests that a comprehensive framework for the oil and gas industry to support a low-carbon future while simultaneously ensuring the world has enough energy to meet development and economic growth goals has yet to be fully developed. What role can the oil and gas industry play lead the way to an energy-rich, globally prosperous, low-carbon future?