By President and CEO, Catherine Reheis-Boyd & COO and SVP, Jodie Muller 

Each March, CERAWeek brings together the world’s top executives, political leaders, policymakers and energy thought leaders to advance new ideas, insights and solutions to the biggest challenges facing the future of energy. The event is widely recognized as the premier industry gathering in North America, and WSPA leadership was on-the-ground, fully engaged and advocating for the women and men of the oil & gas industry.

The theme for CERAWeek 2025 was “Moving Ahead: Energy strategies for a complex world.” The agenda, content, speakers and programs all focused on the challenges related to energy security, supply and climate ambitions, as well as the critical implications policy, technology and geopolitical changes are having on the global energy landscape.

These themes are very familiar to the work we do every day at WSPA on behalf of our member companies and the industry’s incredible workforce. President and Chief Executive Officer Catherine Reheis-Boyd and Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President Jodie Muller attended the event and immersed into five days of thought-provoking discussions, engaging speakers and invaluable networking.

This year, one message was loud and clear: what our industry does matters. Energy drives our economy and advances societies around the world, and CERAWeek continuously reinforces the importance of oil & gas now and in the future.

“Coming out of CERAWeek, one thing is incredibly clear: policy needs to align much more closely with the energy realities we are facing,” said Reheis-Boyd. “In California and the West, we have been advocating for common-sense, affordable and sustainable energy strategies that work for everyone – a message that landed incredibly with the thousands of attendees this week.”

Reflecting on a truly powerful week of dialogue, debate and discussion, WSPA leadership walked away with valuable insights. The following are top takeaways that will help drive and reinforce WSPA’s advocacy and engagement efforts throughout 2025 and beyond:

• We have to build faster. Scaling energy solutions requires permitting reform at all levels of government – urgently. Policy roadblocks to procuring the energy solutions and products that the world needs will endanger communities and the economy, especially in the Western U.S.
• Policy matters. Political infrastructure must support durable, long-term policies that enable progress. Solutions that the majority of people and communities cannot afford are not real solutions, and will hurt those who can least afford it most.
• Energy pragmatism is essential. We need balanced conversations that embrace affordability, reliability, security AND climate. If we don’t bring realistic, equitable solutions that work for everyone to climate planning, progress will fail.
• Al is a game-changer. The energy sector is on the front lines of a demand surge unlike anything we’ve seen before. Artificial intelligence technology is already being deployed in the industry to drive efficiency and sustainability, and future technology advancements will continue to drive the industry forward.
• Oil & gas – especially for natural gas – will continue to play a critical role. Demand isn’t slowing, and energy security remains paramount. Oil & gas will need to remain a leading energy contributor, and policies need to reflect the critical demand for these products to keep the economy, society and communities everywhere thriving.

“If this week taught us anything, it is that collectively we CAN balance the energy needs of society while advancing climate progress,” said Muller. “We just must do so in an affordable, equitable way that doesn’t only work for the wealthy.”

The WSPA team always leaves CERAWeek feeling energized, better informed and engaged on the issues that matter most to our industry, and this year is no different. These important insights will help drive real action as we help create a sustainable energy future that works for everyone.