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The Future of Energy: Insights from the 2009 World Energy Outlook
Event Date
Location
- World Affairs Council Auditorium
Address
- 312 Sutter Street
Second Floor
San Francisco, California 94108
Richard H. Jones took up his duties as Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Agency on 1 October 2008. Ambassador Jones, a former American diplomat, brings to the IEA over thirty years of diplomatic and policy experience on issues ranging from Middle East politics to trade negotiations and energy security. After a rapid rise through the ranks of the U.S. Foreign Service, he served as the American Ambassador to four countries: Israel (2005-2008), Kuwait (2001-2004), Kazakhstan (1998-2001) and Lebanon (1996-1998). He also acted as the U.S. Secretary of State’s Senior Advisor and Co-ordinator for Iraq Policy from February-August, 2005.
During his diplomatic career Ambassador Jones gained a wide range of policy experience in energy policy. As Ambassador in Kuwait, he held discussions with international oil companies and with the Minister of Petroleum on production-sharing proposals. In Kazakhstan, he was the key liaison between the U.S. government and the Presidency on the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline and other critical energy issues. In an earlier diplomatic posting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he forecast, analysed and reported on changes in Saudi policy that eventually resulted in the collapse of world oil prices in 1986. In Riyadh he also reported on the development of the Saudi petrochemical industry and held talks with Iraqi officials then working to build the first Iraq pipeline in Saudi Arabia. Ambassador Jones also is well-versed in the work of international organisations. Early in his diplomatic career he served as Economic Policy Advisor at the U.S. Mission to the OECD.
Born in 1950 near Shreveport, Louisiana, Ambassador Jones has a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics with distinction from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA, and an MS and PhD in Business/Statistics from the University of Wisconsin. In addition to his native English, his foreign languages include Arabic, French, Russian and German. He and his wife Joan have four children.
  Drawing on the results of the new World Energy Outlook 2009, Ambassador Jones joins the Council to provide a comprehensive update of energy demand and supply projections and their implications for energy security and the environment. This latest analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA) takes into account the dramatic economic downturn that has now hit all parts of the world as well as revised expectations about energy prices, which have ridden a veritable roller-coaster over the past year. Ambassador Jones outlines the results of an in-depth assessment of the prospects for global gas markets, including the emergence of shale gas as a potentially low-cost source of supply in North America. He also presents a post-2012 scenario, which the IEA prepared as input to the UN climate negotiations, which details a pathway for the energy sector to achieve a transition to a low-carbon world. Ambassador Jones is joined by energy expert David Victor, Professor at UC San Diego's School of International Relations and Pacific Studies and Director of the School’s new Laboratory on International Law and Regulation.
Listen to the program recording or visit our online archive for other event recordings.
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