The shale boom in North America and expansion of the liquefied natural gas trade are shaping a new era in energy. The profound changes afforded by natural gas were the focus of the 2014 Sam Nunn Bank of America Policy Forum keynoted by U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. 

Presentations by noted academic, government, and private-sector experts on technology, public policy, and international affairs encompassed technological, market, and political innovations in the U.S. gas and oil sectors. The presentations also served to disprove popular beliefs regarding America’s dependency on imported energy.

Despite optimism towards tapping these natural domestic resources and becoming a net exporter, concerns remain about problems of scale and profitability of untapped resources, the management of ecological risks and network interdependence, and foreign sales driving prices too high for domestic customers.

Particular attention was devoted to exploring the intersection of the digital and energy revolutions. Also explored were the implications for U.S. leadership in promoting energy security and spurring economic competitiveness at the global, national, and state levels. Drawing on the insight of outstanding panelists, the forum highlighted technological innovations and novel public-private-academic partnerships underway in Georgia and across the Southeast region aimed at redressing critical infrastructure, policy, and consumer challenges.

Videos from the forum U.S. Competitiveness amid a Changing Natural Gas Landscape: A View from the Southeast may be accessed here.