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Energy Future Now

A partnership between RealClear and the National Center for Energy Analytics that brings timely energy questions into focus.

The Energy Future ForumPresented byRealClear

001/Latest episodeEpisode 01 · July 27, 2026

Neil Atkinson and Portia Roberts discuss risks facing global oil markets in ENERGY FUTURE NOW Episode 1
Episode 01Oil markets5 min

Could the Worst Be Yet to Come for Oil Markets?

Neil Atkinson and Portia Roberts

Hostilities involving Iran, attacks in the Red Sea, and Ukraine’s ongoing drone strikes on Russia are creating new uncertainty for global oil markets. Neil Atkinson and Portia Roberts examine the growing risks to global oil supplies and whether these geopolitical flashpoints could trigger another major surge in energy prices.

002/The format

One timely question. Three essential takeaways. One expert perspective.

Each installment connects a current issue to three essential takeaways, an expert perspective, and the research and evidence behind it, giving audiences a clear, accessible guide to the energy choices shaping America’s future.

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How do hostilities involving Iran, attacks in the Red Sea, and Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure affect global oil prices and fuel costs, and what does NCEA’s research say about the limits of government action during an energy crisis?

006/Episode library01 episode

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007/About the series

Energy stories move quickly. The consequences often last much longer. Each episode is built around one important question, three essential takeaways, and a clear path to the underlying evidence.

Presented by RealClear in partnership with the National Center for Energy Analytics.

“ENERGY FUTURE NOW connects timely news and expert perspective with the research needed to understand what is really happening in energy markets, policy, technology, and security.”
Energy Affordability Is on the Ballot-Prices, Politics & AI
energy-affordability-is-on-the-ballot-prices-politics-ai
3
October 9, 2026
David DesRosiers & Maggie Miller
Energy affordability is about more than prices at the pump or your monthly electric bill—it could shape America's economic future. On Energy Future Now, Maggie Miller sits down with David DesRosiers to discuss how rising energy costs, growing electricity demand from AI and manufacturing, and competing political approaches to energy policy could influence our nation, and it's on the ballot in the midterm elections. DesRosiers breaks down the choice between energy abundance and scarcity, why he believes restrictions on data centers could backfire, and what's at stake as the U.S. competes with China in the AI race.
https://youtu.be/I46gipdncNo
https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2026/09/29/its_the_economy_stupid__again_1208940.html
https://energyanalytics.org/research/the-choices-we-face-energy-for-the-21st-century---a-declaration-of-guiding-princ
13 min
Prices, Politics, AI
Energy Affordability
How will rising electricity demand from AI data centers and manufacturing affect energy prices for American households?
Energy affordability is on the ballot this November. Watch David DesRosiers and Maggie Miller examine how rising energy costs, AI-driven electricity demand, and competing policy approaches could shape America’s economic future in the latest episode of ENERGY FUTURE NOW.
War Reshapes Energy Investment
war-reshapes-energy-investment
2
September 25, 2026
Neil Atkinson and Maggie Miller
The war in the Middle East has revealed the risks of global dependence on a single region for oil and gas supplies. Neil Atkinson and Maggie Miller examine how the conflict is redirecting energy investment, why diversification will require years rather than months, and what measures will be necessary to strengthen energy security once hostilities end.
https://youtu.be/XyCHuZQkpYY
https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2026/09/23/war_is_a_warning_energy_security_requires_investment_1207570.html
https://energyanalytics.org/research/energy-investment-and-the-iran-war
10 min
oil and gas markets, fuel prices
Energy Investment
How is the war in the Middle East reshaping global energy investment, and what does NCEA's research conclude about the infrastructure, diversification, and redundancy required to secure energy supplies after the conflict?
The war in the Middle East is reshaping global energy investment. Watch Neil Atkinson and Maggie Miller examine what energy security will require after the conflict in the latest episode of ENERGY FUTURE NOW.
Could the Worst Be Yet to Come for Oil Markets?
could-the-worst-be-yet-to-come-for-oil-markets
1
July 27, 2026
Neil Atkinson and Portia Roberts
Hostilities involving Iran, attacks in the Red Sea, and Ukraine’s ongoing drone strikes on Russia are creating new uncertainty for global oil markets. Neil Atkinson and Portia Roberts examine the growing risks to global oil supplies and whether these geopolitical flashpoints could trigger another major surge in energy prices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_kPGegpOdU
https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2026/07/26/disruptions_on_multiple_fronts_put_oil_markets_on_the_brink_1196686.html
https://energyanalytics.org/research/oil-gas-price-crisis
5 min
oil and gas markets, energy security, geopolitics, fuel prices
Oil markets
How do hostilities involving Iran, attacks in the Red Sea, and Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure affect global oil prices and fuel costs, and what does NCEA’s research say about the limits of government action during an energy crisis?
What happens when several oil-supply disruptions hit at once? Watch Neil Atkinson and Portia Roberts explain the risks in Episode 1 of ENERGY FUTURE NOW.
Neil Atkinson and Portia Roberts discuss risks facing global oil markets in ENERGY FUTURE NOW Episode 1