In a period of geopolitical uncertainty, energy security, economic competitiveness, and technological innovation have become increasingly intertwined with the low-carbon energy transition and international trade. Renewed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are raising urgent questions about global energy markets, but the full picture is far more complex. From the rapid development of China’s dominance of low-carbon energy markets to the wave of new nuclear announcements and growing interest in enhanced geothermal and fusion, the energy landscape was already shifting before headlines of geopolitical conflict and extreme commodity market shifts dominated the news cycle. Adding more complexity, social equity and energy affordability must be part of the discussion.

In this fireside conversation, Secretary Ernest J. Moniz and journalist Alexander Kaufman traveled across the global energy map and examined how much of today’s transformation predates current conflicts, how much has been accelerated by them, and what it all means for markets and investment.

States are leading the way in creating new markets in the United States. This discussion explored how state leaders can use procurement, policy innovation, and strategic partnerships to drive demand for high-performance building materials. Speakers shared lessons from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania on fostering economic growth, strengthening competitiveness, and accelerating the deployment of emerging technologies while positioning their states as leaders in the next generation of energy and climate policy.

The United States is losing its competitive edge in energy innovation. This group of experts from industry, investment, and policy examined the role of technology, policy, and business innovation to meet the needs of the expanding global energy landscape. The discussion shone a spotlight on the Energy Innovation Project, a multi-partner effort led by EFI Foundation to evaluate the health of the energy innovation ecosystem, and the panel focused on how innovation is measured, tracked, and evaluated. Speakers shared their boldest ideas for overcoming the energy sector’s biggest challenges and capturing its biggest opportunities.