Energy Workforce & Technology Council President Molly Determan recently attended Bloomberg’s Energy Security Executive Briefing in Houston, where policymakers, investors, and industry leaders discussed everything from tensions in the Middle East to the growing power demands driven by AI and data center development.
Among the featured speakers were Chris Wright, U.S. Secretary of Energy, and Michael K. Wirth, Chairman and CEO of Chevron, who offered perspectives on both the immediate challenges facing global energy markets and the long-term outlook for U.S. energy demand.
Unsurprisingly, the Strait of Hormuz dominated much of the discussion. As one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes, any disruption has the potential to impact global energy markets. Wright and Wirth offered slightly different views on current market conditions, with Wright suggesting approximately seven million barrels per day were continuing to move through the Strait and Wirth offering a more cautious assessment. Despite the differing perspectives, both emphasized the importance of stable energy supplies amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
But one of Wirth’s observations stood out.
“People vote with the lights on.”
Wirth was describing what he sees as a shift in how policymakers are talking about energy. Less focus on rhetoric and more focus on affordability, reliability, and the realities of keeping economies running. He noted that events like the Strait of Hormuz crisis serve as a reminder of what is at stake when energy supplies are threatened.
The conversation quickly turned to another challenge: meeting America’s growing energy demand. Secretary Wright pointed to the rapid growth of AI, data centers, and domestic manufacturing as major drivers of future electricity demand.
“If we’re going to put on new AI data centers and reshore manufacturing, we have to increase our capacity to reliably supply at peak demand time.”
Wirth also emphasized that the United States is uniquely positioned to meet that challenge, citing abundant resources, strong infrastructure, and geographic advantages that reduce dependence on global chokepoints.
“Affordable and reliable energy are fundamental to our economy.”
One of the most consistent themes throughout the briefing was that the challenge is no longer simply producing enough energy. Increasingly, it is about having the workforce, infrastructure, equipment, and permitting processes necessary to deliver it.
For Energy Workforce members, that message should sound familiar. Whether responding to global energy security concerns or supporting the next generation of power demand, the companies building, maintaining, and deploying America’s energy infrastructure will remain at the center of the solution.
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.
