Britain’s Energy Insecurity with Oliver McPherson-Smith

Join the Adam Smith Institute for a lecture with Dr. Oliver McPherson-Smith examining the critical state of UK energy security. After Oliver's talk there will be a Q&A moderated by Kathryn Porter. British households and businesses are currently burdened by some of the highest energy bills in the developed world. Rushed decarbonisation mandates and unyielding Net Zero targets have severely compromised grid stability, inflated consumer costs and left the nation dangerously reliant on volatile international energy markets. In this lecture, Oliver will expose the deep structural vulnerabilities created by the UK’s current energy policies and explain why dogmatic Net Zero strategies are undermining both energy reliability and economic competitiveness. Crucially, he will lay out bold, practical, market-led solutions to reverse these failures—delivering affordable energy abundance, restoring resilience, and ensuring we can keep the lights on and homes warm. Oliver McPherson-Smith is a Senior Fellow at the Adam Smith Institute. He is currently the Director of New International Ventures at Double Eagle, the leading independent oil and gas producer in the United States. In January 2026, he was appointed to the U.S. federal government’s National Petroleum Council. Prior to joining the private sector, Dr. McPherson-Smith served as the inaugural Executive Director of the National Energy Dominance Council and Deputy Assistant to the President in the White House. He was also a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Kathryn Porter is an independent energy consultant. She holds a Master's degree in Physics and an MBA, and is an associate member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies executive council. Housekeeping Date: October 19th Venue: Adam Smith Institute, 23 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3DJ As always, refreshments will be provided! Schedule: 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Arrival & Registration: Doors open for welcome drinks, light refreshments, and pre-panel networking. 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Presentation & Q&A: Keynote overview of report findings followed by a Q&A moderated by Kathryn Porter. 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM | Drinks Reception: Post-panel networking and drinks with speakers, authors, and fellow attendees.