Conrad

Energy Infrastructure: Getting New Supply to Market Faster

Mark Florian, Rick Grafton, Charlotte Phillips, Gerd Vandevoe, Conrad, Gary, Jordan Sherry, Ambassador, Mark Kahn

Mark Florian, Rick Grafton, Charlotte Phillips, and Gerd Vandevoe convened to analyze the $37 trillion global energy investment gap projected through 2035, emphasizing the critical intersection of rapid renewable deployment, infrastructure bottlenecks, and demographic demand shifts. The panel highlighted how regulatory fragmentation in North America and geopolitical friction in Eurasia currently constrain midstream development, forcing reliance on rail transport and LNG while utilities face margin erosion from distributed generation. Experts concluded that achieving long-term energy security by 2050 requires a hybrid strategy where hydrocarbons and renewables coexist, though high break-even costs for unconventional oil and unstable subsidy regimes remain significant barriers to immediate scaling.