The Energy Forum

How can filmmaking help move the energy conversation beyond polarized debate? In this bonus episode of “The Energy Forum,” our producer, James Deering, sat down with Gregory Kallenberg, founder of Rational Middle Media, to explore how documentary storytelling can make complex energy issues accessible and create space for common ground. His company debuted its new film, titled “Staying Power,” at the Center for Energy Studies’ 10th  Annual Energy Summit.   Kallenberg discusses the research that inspired the film and the challenge of turning lengthy interviews into a concise narrative without losing the substance of each speaker’s perspective. He also shares how he hopes “Staying Power,” will spark constructive discussions in community, corporate, and policy settings as a way to move toward practical solutions. This episode was recorded on Oct. 7, 2026.  Related Media: Watch “Staying Power”: https://stayingpowerfilm.com/ Film premiere at The Baker Institute’s 10th Annual Energy Summit: https://tinyurl.com/2bb7a69b Featured: Gregory Kallenberg, https://rationalmiddle.com/ You can follow @BakerInstitute and @CES_Baker_Inst on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

As artificial intelligence fuels the expansion of data centers, communities are asking what these facilities will mean for their water supplies, electricity bills, and infrastructure. Can new cooling technologies and smarter investments help meet growing demand without compromising local resource security? In this episode of “The Energy Forum,” Gabriel Collins and Eric Willman examine how water and energy needs are interacting during this data-center boom. Building on discussions at Rice University’s Water Nexus Conference, they explore how cooling choices affect water consumption and electricity demand, how data-center developers could help strengthen local infrastructure, and why public skepticism extends beyond simple resource consumption. This episode was recorded on Oct. 20, 2026.  Featured: Gabriel Collins, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/gabriel-collins Eric Willman, https://profiles.rice.edu/staff/eric-willman Related Research: Gabe’s keynote slides from the Water Nexus Conference: https://tinyurl.com/42wvc2bc “Could the Permian Basin Become America’s Next AI Data Hub?”: https://tinyurl.com/3ehyfb8y Gabe’s chapter of “Energy Insights 2026”: https://tinyurl.com/2hzjxutw You can follow @BakerInstitute and @CES_Baker_Inst on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Geopolitic dynamics continue to shape global oil markets. Yemen’s Houthis have threatened to attack Saudi Aramco facilities, heightening concerns over the security of Middle Eastern oil supplies. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has announced a deal for Russia to immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel, as fuel prices remain a contentious issue ahead of America’s midterm elections. In this episode of “The Energy Forum,” Abhi Rajendran and Skip York discuss what these recent developments mean for the global energy market. Featured: Abhi Rajendran, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/abhi-rajendran  Skip York, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/harold-skip-york Mentioned in this episode:  “Mid-2026 Global Oil Market Outlook: Iran Conflict to Have a Lasting Impact,” in Energy Insights 2026: https://issuu.com/mh183/docs/energy_insights_2026/28  This episode was recorded on Oct. 13, 2026.  You can follow @BakerInstitute and @CES_Baker_Inst on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

On Aug. 20, the Center for Energy Studies and the Energy Institute at the Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma hosted a joint conference on “Energy, Technology, and Grid Resilience.” At the conference, fellows joined industry leaders and policymakers to examine how the rapid growth of data centers and artificial intelligence is reshaping electricity demand and raising new questions about grid reliability. As demand grows, so do concerns about whether the U.S.’ current power system can keep pace. Much of the conversation has focused on building new transmission and generation, including behind-the-meter power. But there is another potential part of the solution: long-duration energy storage.  In this episode of “The Energy Forum,” CES experts Gabriel Collins and Peter Hartley sit down with Jon Parrella, CEO of TerraFlow Energy, to discuss how large-scale batteries could help data centers manage volatile power needs, optimize  existing grid infrastructure, and provide backup power during periods of grid stress.   This episode was recorded on Aug. 20, 2026.  Follow @BakerInstitute and @CES_Baker_Inst on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

The global oil market continues to be volatile. Tensions between Iran and the United States persist, driving economic and geopolitical uncertainty. The Strait of Hormuz’s intermittent closures not only have led to a lower available oil supply but also have reduced its reliability as a route for shipping. Recently, the Trump administration announced a new plan to open Venezuelan oil fields to investment, with one stated goal being to fill America’s depleted strategic petroleum reserves. Meanwhile, the demand for petroleum products, especially heating oil, is expected to rise as the colder months approach for those in the Northern H. In this episode of “The Energy Forum,” Abhi Rajendran and Skip York discuss what these recent developments mean for the global energy market.  Featured: Abhi Rajendran, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/abhi-rajendran  Skip York, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/harold-skip-york   This episode was recorded on Sept. 8, 2026.  You can follow @BakerInstitute and @CES_Baker_Inst on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

A recently announced deal between the U.S. and Venezuela to produce 65 billion barrels of oil – roughly a fifth of Venezuela’s total proven oil reserves – has raised questions about its terms. A single Latin American company, NABEP, run by Venezuelan executive Alejandro Betancourt, has been tapped to produce the oil, with part of the company being potentially owned by the U.S. Department of Defense. But it is unclear whether the oil fields covered by the contract can support the scale of production promised. And while the U.S. has an agreement to buy some of the oil produced at cost, do not expect prices at the pump to go down tomorrow. Francisco J. Monaldi, Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Latin American Energy Policy and director of the Latin America Energy Program, joins Ambassador David M. Satterfield to discuss what is known – and what remains unclear – about the deal, as well as the promise of a Latin American energy boom to come. Featured: Francisco J. Monaldi, Ph.D: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/francisco-j-monaldi. This conversation was recorded on Sept. 1, 2026.   You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Small modular reactors, or SMRs, are attracting growing interest as a potential source of reliable, lower-carbon electricity for industries, data centers, and countries that may not need, or be able to finance, a large conventional nuclear plant. Turning that potential into real-world projects, however, requires more than innovative reactor designs—it depends on financing, manufacturing, regulation, workforce training, and public confidence. A new agreement between the United States, South Korea, and Japan aims to strengthen cooperation on deploying SMRs internationally. The partnership could offer countries another option alongside emerging Chinese and Russian nuclear-export models. In this episode of “The Energy Forum,” Gabriel Collins and Henry Haggard discuss what it would take for  SMRs to become a practical, competitive option for countries seeking reliable power and long-term energy security. Featured: Gabriel Collins, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/gabriel-collins Henry Haggard, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/henry-haggard   This episode was recorded on Aug. 11, 2026.  Follow @BakerInstitute and @CES_Baker_Inst on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Oil markets have experienced significant volatility across much of July, particularly after the dissolution  of a ceasefire between Iran and the U.S., which temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz. The resumption of conflict — Iranian strikes on vessels transiting the strait, Houthi threats to vessels attempting to transit the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from the Red Sea, the reimposition of the U.S. blockade, and 13 consecutive days of U.S. strikes on Iran — saw oil prices climb over $100 per barrel, only to settle back again as tensions abated.  In this episode of “The Energy Forum,” Abhi Rajendran and Skip York examine why the market seems increasingly able to absorb geopolitical shocks.   Featured: Abhi Rajendran, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/abhi-rajendran.  Skip York, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/harold-skip-york. You can follow @BakerInstitute and @CES_Baker_Inst on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

The Center for Energy Studies recently hosted its second annual sustainability summit, bringing together experts to examine sustainability challenges from a systems-level perspective. In this episode of “The Energy Forum,”  Rachel A. Meidl is joined by two speakers from the summit: Marco Castaldi, professor at City College of New York and cochair of the Recycling Science Council, and Katherine Hofman, sustainability strategic initiatives manager at Eastman. Together, they unpack the growing confusion around plastics recycling, particularly the terminology and taxonomy surrounding advanced recycling. They discuss how mechanical recycling differs from advanced, molecule‑level processes; why oversimplified narratives about recycling can mislead policymakers and the public; and how clearer definitions can shape more informed  regulations, investments, and waste‑reduction strategies. Featured: Dr. Marco Castaldi: http://ccny.cuny.edu/profiles/marco-castaldi. Dr. Katherine Hofman: greenseal.org/team/katherine-hofmann/. You can follow @BakerInstitute and @CES_Baker_Inst on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz led to months of volatility in the oil market, but a new memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran offered the first signs of a path toward stability. However, short-term risks for the oil market remain as a broader peace deal is discussed, and long-term questions are emerging as global suppliers and consumers seek to prevent a similar shock in the future. In this episode of “The Energy Forum,” Abhi Rajendran and Skip York explore what the market’s response reveals about the shifting foundations of global oil.   Featured: Abhi Rajendran, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/abhi-rajendran  Skip York, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/harold-skip-york   Editor’s note: This episode was recorded on July 2, 2026, when the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was still in place, and oil prices were easing; since then, on July 8, President Donald Trump has declared the ceasefire “over,” and oil markets have repriced renewed geopolitical risk. You can follow @BakerInstitute and @CES_Baker_Inst on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.