EP 52: Robert Brook from RBAC, Inc.

With over 40 years of experience in natural gas markets, Dr. Brooks offers valuable insights into the challenges and benefits of integrating hydrogen into the energy mix. He discusses how RBAC’s cutting-edge software enables companies to forecast market trends and navigate the evolving energy landscape. Key topics include hydrogen’s environmental advantages versus its production hurdles, innovations in natural gas market forecasting, and the potential for collaboration between hydrogen and natural gas in shaping the future of energy markets. Dr. Brooks also reflects on his journey from MIT to founding RBAC, revolutionizing energy market analysis along the way.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 - Intro00:27 - Hydrogen Energy06:49 - RBAC Overview and Services16:44 - Enverus Startup Journey18:20 - Original SAS Model Explained22:40 - Dr. Rao's Entrepreneurial Journey24:55 - Natural Gas Market Evolution27:09 - Data in the 90s: A Retrospective32:37 - Incorporating Data into Models35:44 - The Danger of Good Design38:04 - Beautiful vs. Ugly Equations41:03 - User-Friendly Systems and Algorithms44:30 - Energy Systems: Poor vs. Rich Countries46:13 - Energy Policy Class Insights51:51 - Understanding Negative Gas Prices58:23 - Flat Natural Gas Prices Explained1:02:40 - Early Natural Gas: The Nuisance Gas1:05:12 - Forecasting Techniques in Energy1:06:48 - Platform Users and Applications1:12:18 - Likelihoods and Risk Analysis1:16:34 - Learning in Resource Economics1:19:20 - Finding David: A Guidehttps://twitter.com/collide_iohttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/digitalwildcatters.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collide-digital-wildcatters