Columbia Energy Exchange

Robin Mills, Dubai-based energy analyst and CEO of Qamar Energy with 20+ years in Middle East oil and gas. He describes daily life under drone and missile alerts. He explains why reopening the Strait of Hormuz is risky and how Iran might sustain closures. He outlines risks to Gulf economic diversification and why LNG recovery could take years.

Daleep Singh, former deputy national security advisor and current PGIM chief global economist, discusses industrial policy, economic statecraft, and strategic finance. He explores designing a playbook for government intervention, balancing de-risking and onshoring, mapping clean energy supply choke points, and coordinating tools like tariffs, export controls, and public investment to strengthen resilience and innovation.

Javier Blas, Bloomberg opinion columnist and former Financial Times commodities editor, offers a sharp take on CERAWeek's tense mood. He walks through disrupted oil flows, how traders arbitrage displaced barrels, and why paper markets can mask physical shortages. He also covers LNG shocks, coal and renewables shifts, and the risks of wider Gulf escalation.

Kurt Campbell, chairman of The Asia Group and former U.S. deputy secretary of state, offers a concise take on how the Gulf crisis reverberates across the Indo-Pacific. He discusses shipping risks, China’s cautious stance and naval limits, economic vulnerabilities from energy shocks, and how energy and supply-chain strategies could shift global alignments. Short, urgent, and wide-reaching conversation.

Greg Sharenow, leader of commodity portfolio management at PIMCO with decades in energy trading and investment. He breaks down why this Middle East supply shock is unusually large and what determines its lasting impact. He discusses refinery and infrastructure resilience, how the crisis is shifting investment priorities toward energy security and strategic stockpiles, and the implications for commodities, gas, and clean energy.

Anne-Sophie Corbeau, a leading energy geopolitics scholar and former IEA/BP official. She examines targeted strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure. Short-term market shocks and LNG supply disruptions are explored. Repair timelines and risks to global gas flows are discussed. The conversation also covers implications for Europe, U.S. LNG, and longer-term energy security.

Jeff Holmstead, former EPA air chief turned environmental law partner, and Michael Gerrard, founder of Columbia’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, discuss seismic U.S. moves on climate rulemaking. They explore the repeal of the endangerment finding, the Major Questions doctrine, the Supreme Court’s Boulder v. Exxon decision, industry reactions, and how states and courts might shape the next phase of U.S. climate policy.

Richard Nephew, senior research scholar and author with deep Iran sanctions experience, breaks down Gulf energy risks. He explains shut-ins, LNG outages, and limits of SPR releases. He contrasts tactical military moves with Iran’s strategic leverage. He outlines what Iran might demand and describes a tacit bargain that keeps core oil infrastructure intact.

Mike Knights, research lead at Horizon Engage and Gulf security expert, weighs in on the Strait of Hormuz crisis. He explains how shipping is being blocked and how Iran uses commercial risk to its advantage. He assesses naval challenges, what it would take to escort tankers, coalition limits, and alternative routes like the Red Sea and pipelines.

A rapid-response series focused on breaking developments in Iran and the wider Middle East. Short, 30-minute discussions on shifting policy decisions. Quick takes on implications for global energy markets and regional geopolitics.