Carlos Pascual, left, moderates a discussion with John Kerry, special presidential envoy for climate at the US Dept. of State, during their session discussion at CERAweek 2023, held at the Hilton Americas and George R. Brown Convention center Monday, March 6, 2023 in Houston.A frenetic energy pulsed through CERAWeek by S&P Global last week, an event that year after year reflects both Houston's role as the energy capital and the global energy companies that call it home.
“Orderly transition” was arguably the phrase of the week. Big energy companies sought to make clear thatas they shift into new energy territories outside of their core oil and gas businesses. “A disorderly transition could be painful and it could be chaotic,” Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said Monday. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm used a modified version of the phrase when she said a balanced market should ensure a “managed transition” as energy begins to take new forms.
. “But we also believe that you can permit something in a much shorter period of time and still consistently support the goals of protecting the environment. And some of that just has to do with the bureaucracy.”, said John Kerry, the former senator and presidential candidate now serving as the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate for the Biden administration. He said that to win the fight against climate change, society needed to deploy technology accordingly.
During their time in the spotlight, companies painted a new energy picture that looked far from business as usual. Oxy CEO Vicki Hollub, known first for her risky takeover of Anadarko and now for her bold moves in carbon capture,as she declared her desire to invest in the nuclear and lithium spaces. Her Monday talk was so well-attended that CERAWeek staffers turned a gaggle of disappointed people away at the door.