Back to the Future: America's Energy Leadership at a Crossroads
Rick Westerdale • September 8, 2025
In the final scene of the 1980’s iconic movie Back to the Future, there is a burst of electricity and the DeLorean screeches to a halt. Doc gets out, dressed in wild clothing, and tells Marty McFly that he needs to come with him to the future; something is wrong. The film ends as the car takes off, and flies at the camera . . . with the words "To be continued..." flashing on the screen. That same theme applies to today’s energy debate. We stand at a pivotal moment where choices made now will shape not just our future, but generations to come.
Energy sits at the nexus of economic development, national security, and environmental responsibility. The world must balance affordability, reliability, and sustainability, an equation as complex as any faced before. While fossil fuels remain essential to meeting global energy demand today, markets are already signaling a shift. Cleaner technologies, efficiency improvements, and innovative business models are reshaping the sector, not by government edict alone, but as the natural outcome of free-market competition.
The United States is uniquely positioned to lead. Our resource base is unparalleled, our infrastructure is extensive, and our companies are global leaders in both conventional energy and clean technologies. As the Baker Institute has noted, “no nation is better placed to deliver today’s fuels more cleanly while simultaneously investing in tomorrow’s solutions.” That dual capacity — providing what the world needs now while building what it will need next — is America’s competitive advantage.
This is why the so-called “energy transition” should be viewed less as an imposed burden and more as a business opportunity. In fact, humanity has always been in transition — from wood to coal, from coal to oil, from oil to gas. The next step, toward low-carbon fuels and cleaner energy systems, is a continuation of this trajectory. Markets reward efficiency, cost reduction, and innovation. Energy companies that align their portfolios with these trends are not only mitigating risks but also seizing the opportunities that will define the next century.
Yet the transition must be managed thoughtfully. A disorderly shift risks energy shortages, economic instability, and geopolitical insecurity. A well-managed transition, however, can secure energy supplies, preserve economic growth, and protect the environment — while creating a new generation of skilled jobs and competitive industries. For investors, policymakers, and business leaders alike, this is a matter not of ideology but of sound strategy.
The stakes could not be higher. Nearly one billion people worldwide still lack access to basic energy. Developing nations need affordable and abundant supply to grow, while advanced economies demand cleaner options to meet climate goals. Striking that balance is not only a humanitarian imperative, it is a business case for American energy leadership.
The future of energy is not a binary choice between fossil fuels and renewables. It is an integrated system where hydrocarbons are produced more cleanly, renewables are scaled efficiently, and emerging technologies like carbon capture, hydrogen, and advanced nuclear accelerate the pathway to net zero. If managed correctly, this is not just a transition; it is a transformation.
Like Doc Brown’s warning in Back to the Future, the message is clear: something in the future depends on the decisions we make today. The U.S. has the resources, the technology, and the market dynamism to lead the world in delivering both today’s energy and tomorrow’s clean energy. The only question is whether we will seize the opportunity.
To be continued . . .
Rick Westerdale has more than 30 years of experience across the federal government as well as in the global energy industry. As a Vice President at Connector, Inc., a boutique government relations and political affairs firm based in Washington, D.C., Rick advises clients on strategy, investment, and policy across healthcare, hydrocarbons, LNG, hydrogen, nuclear, and the broader energy transition.