Energy Workforce President Tim Tarpley joined the Greater Houston Partnership and energy leaders from across the industry and government to discuss the future of global energy.
He was joined by Jane Nakano, Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Amy Conroy, Head, International Government Affairs, Shell USA, for a dynamic discussion on how Houston and the U.S. can continue leading in global energy innovation, reliability, and growth.
Tim emphasized that U.S. policy must keep pace with market realities:
“We need energy. We need a lot more energy, and that realization is starting to happen in the U.S. and all over the world—on both sides of the political aisle.”
Highlighting Houston’s leadership in innovation and project execution, Tarpley pointed to permitting reform, infrastructure investment, and workforce development as keys to maintaining U.S. competitiveness.
“The grid wasn’t built for this load. We need massive investment in generation, pipelines, and transmission.”
“When projects move faster, costs go down and reliability goes up.”
“Certainty drives investment. Tax credits help, but predictability makes the industry move.”
Finally, Tarpley underscored the importance of preparing the next generation of energy workers:
“We need to bring in a new workforce. We need to go out to middle schools and high schools and ask if they want to fix a big issue. We work a lot on trainings and certifications, such as oil rig certification, that people can take onto other companies.”
About Energy Workforce & Technology Council
Energy Workforce & Technology Council is the national trade association for the global energy technology and services sector, representing more than 650,000 U.S. jobs in the technology-driven energy value chain. Energy Workforce works to advance member policy priorities and empower the energy workforce of the future.
