Tisha Schuller is the founding CEO of Adamantine Energy. At Adamantine, Tisha consults with clients ranging from Fortune 100 energy companies to nonprofit environmental organizations on topics related to energy policy, business strategy, politics, and community engagement. With a background as the former president and CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association and as a strategic advisor for Stanford University's Natural Gas Initiative, Tisha offers valuable insights into the energy sector. She's a member of the Natural Petroleum Council and has been on the advisory board to the Secretary of Energy under the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations. She has authored three books, most recently, Real Decarbonization: How Oil and Gas Companies Are Seizing the Low-Carbon Future, as well as The Gamechanger's Playbook: How Oil & Gas Leaders Thrive in an Era of Continuous Disruption, and Accidentally Adamant, her own story of her time running the Colorado Oil & Gas Association.

MCJ exists to break down silos and to help people understand climate change, and in some ways, it feels like Tisha at Adamantine is doing the same thing with a different orientation. She comes from oil and gas and she's focused on the energy transition and how to help oil and gas leaders navigate their companies through it. 

Not all listeners will agree with Tisha's perspective, but a big part of her message is in trying to start from a shared vision of the future and work backward. We enjoyed hearing about how she uses this approach today and the perspectives she's gained in doing so.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [03:05]: Tisha's podcast Energy Thinks
• [05:10]: Different mindsets on energy and climate and how to speak to an oil and gas audience
• [06:57]: Climate “personas” and how Tisha finds common ground among them
• [10:12]: The assumption that everyone thinks they're doing good
• [13:07]: Lessons from a DAC project community engagement
• [16:01]: Perspective on youth activists opposing projects
• [18:18]: Challenges permitting any new energy projects
• [21:27]: Tisha's personal journey on fossil fuel use views
• [23:38]: Consequences of US stopping oil and gas production
• [32:02]: Oil and gas company evolution archetypes
• [34:04]: No option but to change from status quo
• [36:00]: Entering era of climate action execution
• [37:20]: Role of startups vs large companies in the energy transition
• [40:07]: Improved community benefits from new projects
• [42:07]: Industry population shift driving change
• [45:13]: Making space for oil and gas in climate solutions

Episode recorded on Nov 20, 2023 (Published on Jan 2, 2024)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant