Bill Gates to weigh in 'emerging clean technologies' for global energy transition

HOUSTON – American billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates will weigh in “clean energy technologies’ that could usher in success for the world’s energy transition agenda, when he takes  the spotlight on Thursday (March 21) at the ongoing CERAWeek conference, which is a top-tier event for global CEOs of multinational energy companies, other C-Suite executives of prime corporations, top-level government officials and policymakers as well as experts in the fields of technology and finance.

During a luncheon meeting, Gates will be discussing current and pressing issues affecting the energy sector in a fireside chat with S&P Global Vice Chairman Daniel Yergin, who is the prime mover of the yearly CERAWeek gathering of world energy leaders.

Gates is representing his two energy companies – one is Breakthrough Energy, which is into accelerating sustainable energy solutions as well as pursuing innovations in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; and his other company is TerraPower which is into technology design and a development engineering company for nuclear reactors.

The philanthropist-billionaire will likewise talk through emerging clean technologies for investment and deployment and the economic opportunities they present in the energy sector.

According to Yergin, Gates’ “unique perspective on the future will be an important and timely addition to the critical dialogues taking place at this year’s conference,” which sets sharp focus on energy markets, climate, technology, geopolitics and exploring strategies “for a multidimensional, multispeed and multifuel energy transition.”

During the full week conference, the major topics being fleshed out by the global industry revolve around next wave disruptors in the energy sector that will be precipitated by the growing incursion of artificial intelligence (AI) – not just in the operations of energy facilities across the supply chain, but also in easing the typical headache of many energy markets on the sphere of project permitting.

Headlining also on the thread of discussions of the world energy experts are anticipated technological innovations in the nuclear industry – primarily on the targeted deployments of small modular reactors (SMRs) and micro-modular reactors (MMRs); then technology advancements in the renewable energy (RE) space – including the targeted incursion of long duration energy storage (LDES) systems for intermittent RE capacities.

In the oil and gas industry, market movers are also putting their heads together on assessing the near-to medium-term prospects in the sector; and international players are likewise weighing the impact of the United States’ declaration to take a ‘momentary pause’ on any addition to its gas exports.

Another paramount agenda of the world energy leaders is on climate change abatement strategies and how the carbon markets will be evolving to deliver the expected progress for Article 6 of the COP28 commitments toward carbon emissions reduction.

To sustain investments in the RE sector, industry discourse similarly sets spotlight on addressing the widening workforce gap in energy – primarily on concerns raised that global RE players are now in very tight competition in attracting talents for their respective project developments.

The upskilling, reskilling and right-skilling of energy workers are top in the action items being advanced by many energy markets, although there is no certainty yet that the projected shortage of workers in the RE sector by 2027 can be fully addressed within that timeframe.

To date, it is not just the RE companies that have been complaining of tough challenges when it comes to recruiting quality workers – but even those in conventional technologies, like in the oil and gas industry.

As emphasized, replacing the aging executives in the energy workforce is not the only baffling conundrum for the industry, but it is also on attracting new talents for the AI-anchored future, which is seen as the ripping hallmark of the energy transition.

Further, the global energy leaders are exchanging views on how to sustain the supply and value chain of critical minerals that are badly needed in technological innovations that will underpin low carbon economies.