It’s been an energy year for the record books-one that will likely
enter the oil annals together with 1973 and 1979. With oil demand
soaring from Boston to Shanghai and supplies constrained, at least for
the time being, the question now being asked by oil executives and
analysts is whether we’ve “entered a new era” as Chevron CEO David
O’Reilly has said, or a temporary glitch that will be quickly corrected
by market forces.
This study group session is designed to provide
some expert opinions on the questions that are most pressing for
Washington decision makers. Chris Flavin, President, Worldwatch
Institute and Kjell Aleklett from Uppsala University in Sweden will
lead a discussion to explore varying projections for future oil
supplies and prices, the implications for U.S. and global security, and
the prospect for alternative fuels, ranging from tar sands to
coal-based and bio-fuels.