Biography

Daniel Yergin is a highly respected authority on energy, international politics, and economics. He is Vice Chairman of IHS Markit and chairman of CERAWeek, which CNBC has described as “the Super Bowl of world energy.”

Time Magazine said, “If there is one man whose opinion matters more than any other on global energy markets, it’s Daniel Yergin.” Fortune said that he is “one of the planet’s foremost thinkers about energy and its implications.” The New York Times described Daniel Yergin as “America’s most influential energy pundit.”

In 2014, the Prime Minister of India presented Dr. Yergin with “Lifetime Achievement Award” and the U.S. Department of Energy awarded him the first “James Schlesinger Medal for Energy Security.”

Dr. Yergin is a Pulitzer Prize winning author. His latest book, The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations, was designated by Kirkus as “required reading. Another winner from a master.”

Dr. Yergin also authored the bestseller The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World. The Economist described The Quest as “a masterly piece of work” by The Economist and The Financial Times called it “a triumph.” The New York Times said it is “necessary reading for C.E.O.’s, conservationists, lawmakers, generals, spies, tech geeks, thriller writers,” among many others.

Bill Gates summed up his review saying, “This is a fantastic book.”

Dr. Yergin is known around the world for his book The Prize: the Epic Quest for Oil Money and Power, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. It became a number one New York Times best seller and has been translated into 20 languages.

Dr. Yergin is also a business leader, as Vice Chairman of IHS Markit, one of the world’s largest research and information companies, with 16,000 employees, and founder of Cambridge Energy Research Associates, which became part of IHS in 2004.

Of Dr. Yergin’s book Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy, which has been translated into 13 languages, The Wall Street Journal said, “No one could ask for a better account of the world’s political and economic destiny since World War II.” Both The Prize and Commanding Heights were made into award-winning television documentaries for PBS, BBC, and Japan’s NHK, which Dr. Yergin co-produced and co-wrote, and for which he was the leading narrator. The Commanding Heights received 3 Emmy nominations, CINE Golden Eagle Award, and the New York Festival’s Gold World Medal for Best Documentary.

Dr. Yergin was awarded the United States Energy Award for “lifelong achievements in energy and the promotion of international understanding.” He received the Charles Percy Award for Public Service from the Alliance to Save Energy. The International Association for Energy Economics gave Dr. Yergin its 2012 award for “outstanding contributions to the profession of energy economics and to its literature.” The University of Pennsylvania awarded him the first Carnot Prize for “distinguished contributions to energy policy.”

Dr. Yergin has served on the US Secretary of Energy Advisory Board under the last four presidents. He is a member of the Energy Policy Council of the Dallas Federal Reserve.

Dr. Yergin is a director of the Council on Foreign Relations and a senior trustee of the Brookings Institution. He is a member of the National Petroleum Council, a director of the United States Energy Association, and of the US-Russia Business Council. He is a member of the Advisory Boards of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative and of the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy and of Singapore’s International Energy Advisory Board. He is a “Wise Man” of the International Gas Union and a member of India’s Ministry of Petroleum Think Tank.

Dr. Yergin holds a BA from Yale University, where he founded The New Journal, and a PhD from Cambridge University, where he was a Marshall Scholar.

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The New Energy Future in the New World Economy?

How will the world change? Daniel Yergin draws on innovative, original scenarios to explore how great changes – in international politics, global economy, technology and the environment – will shape our future. What will it mean for world energy and political power if Asia overtakes North America to become the biggest part of the world economy? Could oil lose its monopoly position in fueling our cars? What would that mean for world politics? What happens if globalization falters, leading to a disappointing economic future, and a "global fissure"? Yergin dynamically addresses the trends that will shape the world and drive us into the future, outlines the conflicting choices and visions for the world economy and addresses what the great battle over globalization is all about. He also identifies key risks and opportunities, and describes the path to a better, safer world where the interests of competitive nations can come together—and the encouraging signposts along the way.

Oil, Power Money: The Age of Energy Insecurity

The great struggles over oil and energy—particularly how they interact with geopolitics and the future of society—are of a growing concern to everyone. Indeed, anxiety about energy is practically a part of daily life, prompting numerous questions about our energy future: What are the risks of conflict over energy resources and "a new energy crises." What will be the impact of high prices on the global economy—and on our own lives? Is the world really running out of oil? Will wind, ethanol and other renewable resources fill the gap? How will the energy needs of a growing world match up with rising concerns about carbon and climate change?

Globalization and the New Geopolitics

Today's era—"The Second Age of Globalization"—is proving much more challenging than was thought a few years ago. Balances of power have been constantly shifting, resulting in new alliances. The U.S., China and Russia are taking on new roles in this shifting geopolitical world, as the entire world now deals with the consequences of the war on terrorism. The technological forces shaping our future have led to critical debates about what it means to live in the "24-hour interconnected, hyperactive, e-mail-fueled, and sleep-deprived world." Meanwhile, a backlash continues to build against a world open to trade, investment, and communications, with energy as one of the most important forces changing the position of nations. Russia—flat on its back only a few years ago—is now an "energy superpower." China and India are the rising great powers. And worries about energy security are now a political fact in the United States and Europe, amplified by climate change.

Rethinking the Commanding Heights

The New Struggle between Governments and Markets; presents a broad vision of the great clash over the balance between governments and markets, and considers what the new turbulence at home and abroad will mean for what kind of society we will have in the future.

Testimonials

We were very much pleased by the outstanding quality of Mr.Yergin's contribution as of a moderator for the discussion panel on Global Energy at Russia Forum 2010. The feedback and response from participants and delegates has been extremely positive. We welcomed over 2,000 delegates from over 60 different countries and more than 1,000 companies. On behalf of all organizers I would therefore like to thank Mr. Daniel Yergin for helping make Troika Dialog's Russia Forum such a successful event.
– Troika Dialog
Mr. Yergin’s legendary contributions to the field, highlighted with the release of The New Map, made this year’s selection obvious. We selected him as the Energy Writer of the Year for his intellectual approach, his balanced treatment of competing ideas, his extraordinary grasp of an enormous subject, his methodical defense of an ambitious thesis with massive amounts of data, his masterful storytelling skills and in recognition of a lifetime of literary achievement.
– Eric Vettel, President of American Energy Society

Booksby Daniel Yergin

The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations

The Quest: Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power

The Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy

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