Leaf extreme closeup
Leading in the Era of Decarbonization
December 3, 2019
Leaf extreme closeup
Leading in the Era of Decarbonization
December 3, 2019

Where Do We Go from Here?

The “Energizing the Modern Age” symposium brought together experts from diverse industries to discuss the challenges society faces as the global population and energy demands continue to grow. The goal for society isn’t just to survive but to adapt and thrive.

Throughout the discussions, several themes emerged that help chart a path for future discussions and exploration.

Collaboration means that all levels of government, the private sector and communities need to define energy outcomes together.

Achieving sustainability goals requires stakeholders to find the right combination of policies, technologies and investments to address a region’s or community’s needs. Internationally, public and private sectors also need to collaborate for the U.S. to assert leadership and remain competitive in the global energy market.

A long-lasting financial commitment is necessary to decarbonize electric grids and economies around the world.

The will exists to decarbonize, but investors need the signals that encourage investment. To sustain changes to the energy sector, investment indicators must redefine the value of quarterly earnings and include other factors. Markets must offer investors certainty in their cash flows to make infrastructure commitments. Consumers and investors alike will drive social impact conversations.

All energy technologies need to be on the table. Universally, experts acknowledge that the solution for decarbonization will include a combination of energy technologies.

That combination will change in different parts of the country and even the world. Communities need to have a range of options available to them. Citizens need perspective so they can choose the ones right for them from financial, natural resource availability and values-based perspectives.

Consumers, business leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders continue to explore these challenges and opportunities to energize the modern age.

The choices that many stakeholders make will drive solution selection – and those solutions will look different across various communities, regions and countries.