The Energy Imperative

Energy is the essence of life and the most important commodity that defines the modern world. Without access to affordable energy, the economic health of the planet and the survival of our civilization itself, are at risk. This is the central thesis of The Energy Imperative. While alternative energy and climate change rhetoric have dominated the international debate for at least a decade, oil, gas and coal will still dominate for the foreseeable future. Their commercial supply is in no danger to peak any time soon, either. However, that may be affected by ill-advised policies in the developed world, in a misguided attempt at social engineering. The imposition of carbon taxes will have no discernible effect on global climate but will burden the world with higher costs while financial speculators and banks make a fortune trading carbon credits. Fortunately, energy is not a static enterprise and we are in a period of transition but that transition will be long and it will be both painful and unnecessarily expensive if we make the wrong decisions today. This book explains the energy industry and our choices for the future. Its contents and its conclusions may be surprising and disturbing for many who rely on television and newspapers for information but that does not make those conclusions any less compelling. For those who want a more balanced view and want to be intelligent contributors to the debate, reading this book is the first important step. For those who want to look beyond the media and political circus arising from events like the Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, it is an essential step.

PHIL RAE is the director of InTuition Energy Associates, a training and consulting company based in SE Asia. He is based in Singapore. LEONARD KALFAYAN is a senior advisor with a global integrated energy company. He is based in Houston. MICHAEL J. ECONOMIDES is a Professor at the University of Houston, and the Managing Partner of a petroleum consulting firm. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Energy Tribune.