Energy Panorama Octubre 2023

Welcome to the October edition of Energy Panorama.

This year, October meant the La Jolla Energy Conference. On October 11-12 we hosted the XXXII annual edition. We would like to reiterate our gratitude to all who joined us in La Jolla from our Steering Committee members to sponsors, speakers and attendees from across the hemisphere.

On the first day, panelists and attendees shared experiences and knowledge as part of our Big Debates around decarbonization, energy security, digital transformation, the role of industrialization policy and a host of other themes including a nightcap roundtable about China and Latin America.

The second day continued with Big Debates and conversation around transcendental questions such as the role of natural gas. The concept of electrifying everything also took center stage and discussion of critical minerals in the region followed. The conference wrapped up with a series of deep dives into the energy sector outlooks in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and the Caribbean. Beyond the exchange of ideas, important networking took place along the Pacific coast – our hallmark. And the sunset cocktail never disappoints.

The conference also featured two keynote addresses by US policymakers and officials: Brian A. Nichols, Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere and Chris J. Dodd, Special Presidential Advisor for the Americas.

Be sure to check out the brief prepared by Soffia Alarcon, IOA’s EC2 non-resident fellow, and referenced during her remarks as part of the “Digital Transformation” session and the brief by Thiago de Aragão cited during the robust discussion at the Nightcap Roundtable, as well as our curtain raiser interview with ERM partner Amy McDonald.

Stay tuned for our conference summary report based upon notes prepared by graduate students at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and University of San Diego (USD).