I recently had the privilege of speaking to a group of students at the American School of Gas Measurement Technology in Houston.
This was a week after I attended the RNG Works event in Tennessee — and a private meeting in Boston with a handful of Northeast public utility executives. A young chemist from the audience approached me after the talk to ask a very simple question that I had answered many times without hesitation in my life, "What do you think would be a good area of focus for a person my age in this industry?" After two weeks of endless energy discussions, coupled with 35 years of energy experience and nearly a decade of science training, I simply didn’t have an answer.
All industries rely on senior leadership to provide clear vision for the road ahead. Areas of critical importance are especially dependent on reliable planning, funding and talent attraction — essential elements for a sustainable future. Can you imagine a country where military planners were confused or absent, where funding shifted unpredictably every few years and the ability to recruit was constantly undermined and attacked? Is energy any less important, and if not, who speaks for the future of the energy industry?
We all speak for the industry and are responsible for its future. Our ability to frame the discussion accurately and to create a sustainable industry may ultimately decide if we can answer the young man’s question.
I was shocked to find that the EIA, the undeniable leader for energy information in the U.S., did not publish its annual report in 2024. This happened largely due to the extreme uncertainty in direction, leaving it unable or unwilling to provide a current assessment or a forward-looking model. Although available, energy forecasts from major global energy providers are similarly vague, providing multiple scenarios that depend heavily on opinion and political change rather than logic or expertise.
After a week of mind clearing, this was my answer. First, embrace what you enjoy within our industry and make it obvious. Employees who love what they do are contagious, and the industry needs them. Creating attractive workspaces and policies may be important, but nothing can overcome a gloomy workforce. Talk to your friends about what you do and why you enjoy it so much.
Second, try several things at work, even if they’re not critical to your main objectives. I can’t ever recall denying an employee’s request to do or learn more or regretting the decision to allow them to do so, but I have seen many managers fail by stifling their employees.
Third, get involved with industry groups outside the workplace and learn as much as you can about what your peer group is doing. Assume responsibility within the groups that are the most attractive to you; don’t be a bystander. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity available to young professionals within the natural gas industry, as older members have retired in large numbers over the last four to five years.
Fourth, learn from the past, especially the big events that have shaped public opinion and policy. These big events are easily accessible online, whether it’s the smog that enveloped Los Angeles in the 60s and 70s, the Exxon Valdez spill, Three Mile Island, the OPEC oil embargo or the early days of uncontrolled oil drilling depicted in many Texas documentaries. They all shaped our industry, and the lessons learned from them are critical to understanding it.
Fifth, travel as much as you can, especially to areas that are the least familiar and markedly different than our own energy situation. We’ve all read about coal dust in New York and London during the Industrial Revolution, but it wasn’t until I visited Beijing in the late 90s that I truly appreciated how oppressive it could be. You also can’t truly appreciate the meaning of energy until you have spent time in communities that essentially have none, so visit them. I remember talking to a Shell engineer in Borneo who lived in a community that didn’t have power and became immediately aware that these projects meant a lot more to him than they could ever mean to me.
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