September 9, 2025
Dear Tulane Community,
Starting tomorrow, the second annual Future of Energy Forum will convene hundreds of energy experts and leaders to explore how innovation, competition, and collaboration will power the world of tomorrow.
On a planet transformed by AI, global industrialization, and extreme weather events, a multifaceted strategy will be necessary to meet our energy and other societal needs. A look through the Future of Energy Forum’s schedule of panels and discussions clearly reflects the evolution of energy discourse from an “either/or” approach to one more closely associated with, of all things, improv comedy: “yes, and…”
Drawing an analogy between energy strategy and improv comedy might seem laughable, if you’ll forgive the pun. But hear me out. In improv, actors spark collaboration and creativity by affirming each other’s ideas (“yes”), then building on them (“and”). “Yes, and” is good shorthand for the way today’s visionary leaders are using traditional approaches as a foundation as they expand into emerging technologies, alternative energy sources, and advanced infrastructure solutions.
Tulane is uniquely positioned to facilitate these impactful discussions. We are a world-class research university located in a leading state for energy production that also faces significant environmental challenges. From the Energy Institute and the Energy Law & Policy Center to the Bywater Institute, we boast a number of renowned centers, institutes, and degree programs that tap into our interdisciplinary strengths to seek real-world solutions. Among our faculty are internationally recognized geophysicists, engineers, and energy management experts, many of whom will be featured at the forum. We also count numerous industry leaders among our alumni, including Pila Energy founder and CEO Cole Ashman, Vistra CEO Jim Burke, Shell USA president Colette Hirstius, Treme Impact Strategies founder August Martin, Jr., and Artemis Energy Partners founder and CEO Bobby Tudor—all of whom you’ll find on the schedule.
This year’s forum expands opportunities for students to explore careers in energy-related fields. On Thursday and Friday afternoons starting at noon, Marshall Family Commons in the Goldring-Woldenberg Business Complex hosts The Exchange, an immersive showcase for the wide range of pathways across the energy ecosystem. A session on Wednesday evening with Arushi Sharma Frank of the Center for Strategic & International Studies will point students toward the critical energy roles of the future, while Thursday evening features a networking hour.
I look forward to seeing you at the Future of Energy Forum this week. If you haven’t already, be sure to register, and mark your calendar to join me tomorrow afternoon as I lead a discussion with Drew Marsh, Chair and CEO of Entergy, at 1:45 p.m. in Kendall Cram. In a recent interview, Drew noted that some of his career success can be traced to ideas sparked by unexpected sources, from his children’s elementary school teachers to the books he reads. Perhaps the cardinal rule of improv comedy isn’t such an unlikely guiding principle for energy strategies after all.
