The Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce hosted an energy conference this week at the Bob Bowers Civic Center. Speakers included Christopher Guith, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Energy Institute, and Dan Romito, managing director at Opportune LLP, a sustainability advisory practice.
Guith said U.S. oil production in 2005 was the lowest since the 1940s, and that within 15 years the country had become the largest oil producer in the world. He said the same is true for natural gas. He also said European customers pay about 10 times more than U.S. customers and that the U.S. is projected to double its exports between 2025 and 2030.
Guith said federal permitting takes an average of five years, which he called ridiculous. He said airport permits can take seven years and that mine permits have averaged 36 years over the last seven years. He also spoke about data centers, which he said have become a polarizing issue, and said misconceptions about them exist.
Romito said whoever leads in data centers will likely shape the balance of power, both militarily and economically, for the next century.