Energy Symposium COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Energy Symposium COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The following was composed by John Hughes, a second year MIA student studying Political and Economic Risk Analysis. _________________________ On Friday, April 9th the SIPA Energy Association held its annual Symposium in conjunction with the Columbia Business School Energy Club.   This year’s Symposium, entitled “2030: An Energy Odyssey,” brought together experts across the energy spectrum and students and faculty from Columbia to discuss the challenges facing the industry in the next 20 years and beyond. The Symposium was held in the historic Low Memorial Library’s Rotunda on the main campus, and featured four expert panels, each exploring a different aspect of the energy industry.   The panels were: Energy Development in the Developing World, U.S. Energy Policy and the Portfolio of the Future, Commercial Structure of the Energy Supply Chain, and the U.S. Smart Grid Effort.   Experts from private, public and non-profit sectors weighed in on each of these issues as the day progressed, while also answering questions from the audience.   The event also featured a keynote address from John Hess, Chairman and CEO of the Hess Corporation, who spoke about the challenges he sees facing the energy industry in the coming years. While students were happy with the conversations alone, they were also treated to a gourmet breakfast and lunch, as well as a cocktail hour following the session.   The cocktail hour gave students the opportunity to meet some of the panelists, as well as to network with other students and alumni interested in similar energy issues. Overall the day was a rousing success, all courtesy of the hard work put in by students at both SIPA and the Business School.