The Western Hemisphere’s Energy Moment

Latin America is experiencing a historic energy boom. Brazil, Guyana, and Argentina are collectively positioned to supply nearly half of global crude production growth through 2030, Venezuela is reentering world markets following the fall of the Maduro regime, and Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale formation is on the verge of transforming the country into a major liquid natural gas exporter. The disruptions to Middle Eastern supply have focused new attention on Latin America’s potential as a stable, resource-rich alternative. At the same time, Latin America’s rise as an energy powerhouse is far from assured. National oil companies in the region are burdened by debt and political interference, and governments from Bogotá to Brasília are struggling to balance the fiscal imperative of oil revenues with their commitments to a green energy transition. Whether this boom translates into greater energy security and lasting prosperity for the hemisphere will depend on the choices being made by the current governments in the region. Join Hudson Institute as Adjunct Fellow Daniel Batlle interviews Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin American Energy Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and one of the foremost authorities on energy and political economy in the region, for a wide-ranging conversation on Latin America's energy future and what it means for the hemisphere and for US interests.