Harold Hamm, Continental Resources founder and executive chairman, spoke with OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. about Hamm’s new book on energy independence and exportation Wednesday morning.
The book, “Game Changer: Our 50-Year Mission to Secure America’s Energy Independence,” is a discussion about the national energy strategy and the implications for the U.S.
Harroz said the book teaches its reader lessons from the past to project the future.
“This book is not what I thought it’d be,” Harroz said. “It’s fascinating because it’s not about Harold Hamm. It’s not an autobiography.”
Hamm said energy independence is everything to a country, economically and politically.
“When you have energy independence, you're not subservient to foreign powers that don't like you. Yet, you're having to protect them and protect that supply,” Hamm said. “So suddenly, you're freed up from that. It means one thing and that is peace. Peace in the world.”
Hamm said access to energy can be tremendously transformative for individuals living with energy poverty as it can be used to improve their quality of life.
Some developing countries followed the U.S.’s lead with coal-fired power plants, which proved to be a “dirtier fossil fuel” that developing countries still use despite the U.S. transitioning to natural gas, Harroz said.
The U.S. also proved to be a superpower in the energy industry following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hamm said. After Russia withheld energy in the invasion of Ukraine, Hamm said it fell on the U.S. to export energy for the first time in over 40 years since exportation was made legal in 2015.
Hamm also shared his past experiences with former U.S. presidents George H.W. Bush and Donald Trump, who Hamm said “embraced energy and moved to an era of abundance.”
Hamm said students can become more involved in advocating for oil and gas to meet energy by knowing the facts and solutions, and by talking to friends, neighbors and peers on campus.
This story was edited by Taylor Jones and Alexia Aston. Grace Rhodes and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
