Experts in the News

Energy fellow Jim Krane discussed how Saudi Aramco is coping with COVID-19 and climate change.

Middle East fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen joined a panel discussion on the impact of recent regional agreements on Israel-Palestine relations.

"It is, so far, all American taxpayers' money," said fellow Tony Payan of funds for the border wall and President Trump's repeated claims that Mexico would pay for it. Payan is the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies.

If Houston takes certain steps, it can continue to be an energy capital as the world moves to a low-carbon future, experts said. Energy fellow Michelle Foss suggested that Houston lean into existing strengths, like its robust plastics industry. "Every single thing that people talk about wanting to do in some version of energy transition is going to require advanced composites, plastics, materials that are essential for being able to build things, operate things," she said.

As demand for oil and gas falls and world leaders and businesses pledge to fight climate change, it is possible that major oil industry players could come up with new uses for carbon dioxide, like strengthening concrete or making carbon fiber, which could replace steel and other materials. If they can "crack those nuts, the entire discussion about hydrocarbons changes,” said Ken Medlock, senior director at the Center for Energy Studies. “That kind of change is slow until it’s not. Think about wind and solar, which were slow until they weren’t.” Medlock is the James A. Baker, III, and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics.