Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet:The New Geopolitics of Energy
Michael Klare, Ph.D., Five College Professor of Peace and World Security Studies, Hampshire College

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United States: Iran's Nuclear Aspirations and the Current Geopolitics of Oil - Conflict or Diplomacy
Amy Myers Jaffe, Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies, Baker Institute for Public Policy

Scenarios for Russian Natural Gas: Geopolitical Tool or Lost Market Share?
Kenneth B. Medlock III, Ph.D., Fellow in Energy Studies, Baker Institute for Public Policy, and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Rice University

About the Event

In recent years, uncertainties have arisen in the global energy market that could threaten the global financial markets and and multinational institutions. Increasingly, worries have arisen that oil suppliers may be inclined to use oil as a lever to political ends, increasing the chances for global conflict. Russia 's position as a major energy supplier has great significance not only for its foreign policy but for its relationships with major energy consuming countries. The nature of Russia 's future geopolitical role in world energy markets has become a major concern of international energy security with important implications for Japan and the United States . Given a range of economic and geopolitical uncertainties, the fate of Russian and Caspian natural gas exports remains a major risk factor in global energy supply.

While Russia is engaged in extensive trading with Western Europe, recent events make it reasonable to raise the question whether there are scenarios under which Russia might act aggressively to challenge the existing global energy trading system. The energy strategies of Russia and the Caspian states have a critical role to play as alternative supply sources to the Middle East but it is unclear whether Russia will seek to coordinate its policies with Middle Eastern producers and how those alliances will impact the ability of major consuming countries to diversify supply alternatives. This program will investigate the changing geopolitical landscape of energy and the possibility that oil supply stresses could lead to global conflict.

Event Program

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