Energy Across Borders

November 1, 2021

This summer, the Jackson School of Geosciences teamed up with universities in Mexico and Canada to start the North American Energy Dialogue, a discussion series on the increasingly interdependent energy landscape of the two nations and the United States.

The dialogue brings together a panel of energy experts to discuss hot topics in energy policy over Zoom. The 2021 discussions were well attended, with about 400-500 viewers tuning in to each of the hourlong talks, according to dialogue coordinator Jorge Piñon, the director of the Jackson School’s Latin America and Caribbean Energy Program.

Most panels include researchers, policy makers, and industry affiliates. Piñon said that the short format and varied expertise are intended to spark ideas and promote further discussion.

“We leave a lot of questions unanswered, and that’s on purpose,” Piñon said. “Because that’s what generates debate.”

This year’s discussions included talks on COVID-19’s impacts on energy policy, how the Biden administration’s energy and environmental policies may affect energy trade, and an overview of Mexico’s energy landscape. The energy transition was another topic of discussion. Two discussions on carbon capture and storage featured Bureau of Economic Geology research associate Katherine Romanak as a panelist.

Piñon said that the dialogues are working just as intended, with people already turning conversations into further action.

The dialogue is planned to continue into 2022.

The Jackson School’s efforts are in partnership with the UT Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy, Law & Business. The dialogue is co-hosted with the University of Alberta and Tecnológico de Monterrey.

Watch the discussions: https://www.ualberta.ca/energy-systems/news-and-events/energy-dialogue-seminars.html