Friday, February 20, 2015
Geopolitics of Oil and Gas in the Americas
Quick Navigation
Special Breakfast Keynote
8:15 – 9:00 AM
Sergio M. Alcocer, Under-Secretary for North American Affairs, Secretariat of Foreign Relations, Mexico
Welcome & Overview of the Day
9:00 AM
Melinda Taylor, Executive Director, The Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy, Law, and Business; Senior Lecturer, School of Law, The University of Texas at Austin
Welcome Remarks
Gregory L. Fenves, Executive Vice President and Provost, The University of Texas at Austin
Introduction
The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison, Former United States Senator
Shifting Dynamics of Global Energy: Opportunities and Challenges for the United States
9:15 – 9:45 AM
Ambassador Robert W. Jordan
9:45 – 10:45 AM
Panel Discussion
The future of global energy is evolving as unconventional resources like shale gas and tight oil are discovered around the world and renewable technologies improve. The implications for energy prices, U.S. energy independence, national security, environmental impacts, and regional political alliances are significant. This panel will discuss the myriad effects of the shifting energy picture on national security, global investments, and regulatory reform.
Moderator: Robert Chesney, Professor, School of Law, The University of Texas at Austin
Featured Panelists:
- Ali Moshiri, President, Chevron African and Latin America Exploration & Production
- Robert Manning, Senior Fellow, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and its Strategic Foresight Initiative at the Atlantic Council
- Robin Dunnigan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy, U.S. Department of State
Mexican Energy Reform: Transforming a National Industry
11:00 – 11:30 AM
Duncan Wood, Wilson Center
Enacted in August 2014, the Hydrocarbons Law and the Hydrocarbons Revenues Law are part of a set of new laws to implement the constitutional energy reform that became effective on December 21, 2013. Dr. Wood will discuss the goals of the legislation and the keys to successful implementation.
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM
Panel Discussion
In-depth discussion of some of the key challenges that Mexico faces as it opens its energy sector to foreign investment, including security, environmental impacts, and compliance with anti-corruption laws.
Moderator: Professor Ariel Ramos, Partner, Haynes & Boone, Mexico City
Featured Panelists:
- Tony Payan, Director, Baker Institute Mexico Center
- Fred Burton, Vice President of Intelligence, Strafor
- Steven S. Runner, Assistant Chief Attorney, Exploration/Upstream Ventures, ExxonMobil Corporation
Lunch Keynote
12:45 – 2:00 PM
Lunch & Break – Keynote Speaker
The Honorable Mel Martinez, Former United States Senator
Mexican Energy Reform: Economic Expansion for Mexico and the Americas
2:00 – 3:30 PM
Panel Discussion
Discussion of the expected benefits to Mexico and North America of energy regulatory reform.
Moderator: Jorge Piñón, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin
Featured Panelists:
- Michelle Michot Foss, Chief Energy Economist, Bureau of Economic Geology’s Center for Energy Economics, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin
- Gustavo Alanis Ortega, President, Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental
- Adrian Lajous, Senior Fellow, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, Columbia University
Evening Sessions and Events
Hot Science Cool Talks, with the UT Environmental Science Institute
Power Trip: The Story of Energy by Dr. Michael Webber
How does energy impact the environment and our lives? Did you know that we use more water through our light switches and outlets than our faucets? Would it surprise you that there is more energy embedded in the food we Americans throw away than Switzerland uses in an entire year? In this talk, Dr. Webber will provide a sweeping view of energy’s role in society over hundreds of years with fun facts, myth busting, and an optimistic eye towards future technologies and solutions. Bring your energy questions and Webber will do his best to answer them. Free and open to the public.
How does energy impact the environment and our lives? Did you know that we use more water through our light switches and outlets than our faucets? Would it surprise you that there is more energy embedded in the food we Americans throw away than Switzerland uses in an entire year? In this talk, Dr. Webber will provide a sweeping view of energy’s role in society over hundreds of years with fun facts, myth busting, and an optimistic eye towards future technologies and solutions. Bring your energy questions and Webber will do his best to answer them. Free and open to the public.
5:45 – 7:00 PM
Hot Science Cool Talks Interactive Fair
7:00 – 8:15 PM
Hot Science Cool Talks Main Program