On 12 June 2024, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, together with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Society for Exploration Geophysicists, conducted a one-day symposium on the theme, “Sustainable Energy for Future Generations.”
This exclusive event, hosted at the US Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, DC, was designed to provide a unique opportunity for senior technical leaders and policymakers from the federal government (executive and legislative), think tanks, associations, and others in the federal capital community who work with the oil and natural gas and energy community as well as other interested industries to network, exchange best practices, and develop actionable strategies.
Chairperson Jim Slutz of the National Petroleum Council opened the symposium and was followed by Jim White, executive director of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), who spoke on behalf of the leaders of the three societies, noting, “Our societies have faced severe headwinds in our quest to maintain relevancy as professional organizations. As a result, we now understand the importance of collaboration, specifically as a collective group, to overcome these challenges together. This symposium was created to leverage each societies strengths and create a platform for industry leaders, policymakers as well as our newer foundational contributors from the geosciences and engineering backgrounds. In doing so, we provided key information and data points from experts to better educate our audience to make more knowledgeable decisions to our energy challenges.”
The one-day program consisted of various panels that included both panelists’ discussion and audience participation.
- An opening dialogue that addressed what sustainability means and how society can develop systems that meet its needs for affordability, reliability, and environmental stewardship while minimizing community impacts and other issues.
- “Evolving Energy Systems—Change At-Scale” addressed the question, "Why is a systems approach to energy required?"
- “Technology and Policy Changing the Existing Energy System” discussed the fact that reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a problem that requires serious solutions. More than 40% of the energy produced today in the US is natural gas, but producing and delivering natural gas also emits about 8% of the country’s GHG emissions. A new report shows the potential to eliminate more than half of the GHG emissions in the natural gas supply chain.
- The final panel, “A Future Workforce,” showcased four young professionals with 3-8 years of experience who represented the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals in interdisciplinary energy disciplines. They discussed their career journeys and:
- United States' science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) deficit
- path forward in energy
- key questions needed to drive toward framing solutions
Special thanks to the sponsors who helped underwrite this symposium: AAPG Foundation; Advanced Resources International, Inc.; Chevron; the Cynthia and Goerge Mitchell Foundation; Energis, LLC; OnLocation; Intek, Inc.; the SPE National Capital Section; the US Geological Survey; and the US Capital Visitor Center and the Senate Energy Committee for hosting the symposium.