Telling the Energy Story

A few months back, we gave our strong endorsement to Daniel Yergin’s new work, The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World. Yesterday, a group of us made our way up the street to the International Monetary Fund to hear him talk about the book and our rapidly changing energy landscape.

As communicators on complex subjects go, he’s one of the best. For more than an hour he spoke and answered questions on a range of issues, including the geopolitical implications of shale oil and gas development, the future of the U.S. as an energy exporter and the exploding demand for automobiles in China.

He’s a master of the anecdote. Yergin understands that regardless the topic, the best way to relay information and hold an audience’s attention is to tell a story. And oh what a story he tells. I walked into Yergin’s talk expecting to be flooded with insight about energy markets and energy security in an interdependent world – don’t worry, I was – but walked away most impressed with his approach to communications. It’s likely there are a few others who know the energy world as well, but I’d wager there’s no one better at telling the story.