Daniel Yergin

Daniel Howard Yergin (born February 6, 1947) is an American author, economic historian, and consultant within the energy and economic sectors. Yergin is vice chairman of S&P Global. He was formerly vice chairman of IHS Markit, which merged with S&P in 2022. He founded Cambridge Energy Research Associates, which IHS Markit acquired in 2004.

Yergin's articles and op-eds on energy, history, and the economy have been published in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, in Los Angeles, California. He received his B.A. from Yale University and The New York Times Magazine. Colorado School of Mines, University of Houston, and the University of Missouri.

Career

1970s

Early in his career, Yergin worked as a contributing editor for New York magazine. he began to take a particular interest in energy in his writing. According to the Los Angeles Times, the book "caused a considerable stir with its optimistic view of the possibilities of energy conservation and such alternative sources as solar power." With Yergin as president, selling around 700,000 copies The book was adapted into a PBS/BBC series His next book was Russia 2010 and What It Means for the World (1993), written with Thane Gustafson, which provided scenarios for the development of Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

2000s–2010s

His 2002 book The Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy, PBS/BBC television series based on the book, and interviewing individuals such as Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, Vicente Fox, and Mikhail Gorbachev.

CERA was acquired by the information company IHS Inc. in 2004, Described as a sequel to his book The Prize, Yergin's The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World (2011) continued his history of the global oil industry but also addressed energy security, natural gas, electric power, climate change and the search for renewable sources of energy. Like his previous books, it was drafted in long-hand. In 2011 it was shortlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award.

2020s

In September 2020, Yergin published The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations,with a revised edition published the following year. In December 2024, Yergin released an unabridged audiobook version of The Prize. The audiobook includes an epilogue narrated by Yergin reflecting on the relevance of the book’s messaging present day, more than 30 years after its original publication date.

Viewpoints and research

thumb|250px|Yergin at the 2014 International Seapower Symposium

Yergin's articles and op-eds on energy, history, and the economy have been published in a variety of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, the Financial Times, and Forbes. He has also been interviewed about energy policy and international politics on various television programs. In 2003 he became CNBC's global energy expert, which he continued to do for a decade,

He addressed peak oil in a chapter in The Quest entitled "Is the World Running Out of Oil?" and in a 2011 essay published in The Wall Street Journal. Instead of a peak, Yergin predicted that future oil production would plateau as increasing prices moderate demand and stimulate production. which was conducted by IHS Markit and Energy Futures Initiative for the Breakthrough Energy coalition, led by Bill Gates. The study identified ten areas for transformational energy breakthroughs. Axios quoted Yergin, "The purpose of the report is to provide a framework and a guide to people who want to invest in clean energy innovation."

Yergin chaired IHS Markit's study on "Reinventing the Wheel," which focused on changing transportation methods, the role of electric vehicles, and the timing of peak oil demand.

Memberships and directorships

Yergin is the current vice chairman of S&P Global, appointed during the company's merger with IHS Markit. He is also chairman of S&P's annual CERAWeek energy conference.

He previously chaired the US Department of Energy's Task Force on Strategic Energy Research and Development. He is currently a director on the United States Energy Association and the U.S.-Russia Business Council.

He serves on the National Petroleum Council, which advises the U.S. Secretary of Energy. In December 2016 Yergin joined a business forum composed primarily of CEOs assembled to provide strategic and policy advice on economic issues to President Donald Trump. The forum was disbanded in August 2017.

Awards

Yergin was awarded the 1997 United States Energy Award for "lifelong achievements in energy and the promotion of international understanding." The International Association for Energy Economics gave Dr. Yergin its 2012 award for "outstanding contributions to the profession of energy economics and to its literature." In 2014 the Prime Minister of India presented Yergin with a Lifetime Achievement Award,

In 2024, he received the Centennial Lifetime Achievement Award from the United States Energy Association on the occasion of its hundredth anniversary.

Publishing history

Books as author

Shattered Peace: The Origins of the Cold War and the National Security State. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1977. Reprints: Penguin, 1978, 1980, ; Penguin, rev. & updated, 1990, .
The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991. . Reprint: Simon & Schuster, 1992, .
The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World. Penguin Press, 2011. . (Revised, reprint edition, 2012.)
The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations. Penguin Press, 2020. .

Books as co-author

Energy Future: The Report of the Energy Project at the Harvard Business School. New York: Random House, 1979. . Reprints: Ballantine Books, ; Knopf, 3rd ed., 1982, ; Random House, new revised 3rd ed., 1990. [With Robert B. Stobaugh.]
Global Insecurity: A Strategy for Energy and Economic Renewal. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1982. . Reprint: Viking Penguin Books, 1983, . [With Martin Hillenbrand.]
Russia 2010: And What It Means for the World. New York: Random House, 1993. . Reprint: Vintage, 1995, . [With Thane Gustafson.]
The Commanding Heights: The Battle Between Government and the Marketplace That Is Remaking the Modern World; New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998. . [With Joseph A. Stanislaw.]
Revised, retitled and updated as The Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy; New York: Free Press, 2002. .