Changes underway in the energy sector are creating challenges and opportunities, the complexity of which will require important decisions by both the public and private sectors. But making good choices requires a well-informed populace and a sophisticated level of discussion and dialogue. Journalism is key to improving this dialogue.

Objective

The Columbia Energy Journalism Initiative seeks to educate journalists about the various disciplines associated with the energy sector, including policy, markets, finance, climate change, technology and geopolitics. Moreover, it introduces participants to a variety of leading sources who can help inform their reporting on this vital topic. The Initiative held its first program in summer 2017, and looks forward to evolving in subsequent years with additional support to offer more resources, programs and technology tools that meet the changing needs of energy journalism. The program’s initial phase is supported with generous support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and CGEP Advisory Board Members Reid Hoffman and Jim Rogers.

In its first year, the Initiative featured a three-day seminar held at CGEP’s New York City headquarters for 19 energy journalists. The seminar was taught by a selection of academic, business and public-sector experts and focused on various topics critical to the global energy debate. In the future, to complement an expanded seminar, the Initiative will also develop and catalogue relevant educational materials and tools, provide webinars on specific issues, and create a network of high-quality resources to improve the level of understanding of these complex issues.

We invite you to explore the links below for additional information. Please contact eji@sipa.columbia.edu with any questions. 

About the 2019 EJI Seminar

Apply to the 2019 EJI 

Alumni

Resources For Journalists

EJI Steering Committee

The Steering Committee of the Energy Journalism Initiative provides advice and guidance on the design and execution of the program. We thank them for their pro-bono support.