Robert Bryce

America’s role as a global economic superpower depends on its ability to produce massive volumes of hydrocarbons and scads of cheap electricity. In this presentation, Robert Bryce will spotlight the current energy landscape and explain how the shale revolution has made the US into a dominant player in the global hydrocarbon sector. He will look at how soaring electricity demand for AI is fueling unprecedented demand for natural gas and how that demand has ignited a flurry of interest and investment in small modular reactors. Bryce will also explore the labor, supply chain, and regulatory issues that the nuclear sector must overcome and handicap the technologies that show the most promise. He will conclude by explaining why, despite the many challenges, the US will continue to have significant energy advantages over the rest of the world for decades to come.  

Over the past three decades, China has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on its mining and processing sectors. The result is that it now has a near-monopoly on dozens of key elements, including rare earths like neodymium, terbium, and dysprosium. In this presentation, reporter, author, and film producer Robert Bryce will assess the global supply of key metals, including copper, antimony, cobalt, and lithium, and spotlight the geopolitical issues that could limit their production. He will explain how the US and its allies can counter China’s dominance and discuss why the US must accelerate the permitting of new mines and processing facilities.   

After two decades of scant growth, power demand in the US is suddenly soaring. S&P Global estimates that electricity demand could increase by 40% over the next 15 years, with much of that increase being driven by the staggering power needs of AI. In this presentation, author and film producer Robert Bryce will show how AI’s insatiable thirst for power is driving unprecedented demand for gas-fired power across the US electric grid. Bryce will spotlight the regions of the country that will see the biggest increases in power demand and look at some of the bottlenecks facing the utility sector as it works to meet this new demand. He will also look at the role that nuclear energy ¬— and small modular reactors in particular ¬— could play in meeting future electricity needs.