Future of Energy: Matthew Simmons

February 8, 2006 – "Is Energy's Future Sustainable?"
Matthew Simmons, President, Simmons and Company International; Author of Twilight in the Desert: The Coming of the Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy

Matthew Roy Simmons (April 7, 1943 – August 8, 2010) was founder and chairman emeritus of Simmons & Company International, and was a prominent figure in the field of peak oil. Simmons was motivated by the 1973 energy crisis to create an investment banking firm catering to oil companies. He served as an energy adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush and was a member of the National Petroleum Council and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Simmons was the author of the book Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy, published in 2005. His examination of oil reserve decline rates helped raise awareness of the unreliability of Middle East oil reserves. He gave numerous presentations on peak oil and water shortages.

Simmons was the founder of the Ocean Energy Institute in Maine. His vision was to make Maine a leader in energy from offshore wind and ocean forces.