31st Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Energy Security
Dr. Kevin Dayaratna argues that access to affordable and reliable energy is the fundamental driver of human flourishing, economic growth, and national security. He demonstrates that as energy consumption has increased over time, so have GDP, life expectancy, agricultural productivity, and reductions in poverty, child mortality, and maternal mortality.Using global data, he shows a strong correlation between higher per capita energy use and greater national income, better healthcare outcomes, lower poverty rates, and improved environmental quality. Energy access, he contends, enables modernization, innovation, and improved quality of life.
From a U.S. perspective, Dr. Dayaratna highlights the country’s vast oil and natural gas resources and models the economic impact of expanded domestic production. His analysis suggests increased energy development could generate millions of jobs, significantly boost GDP, and raise household income through 2050.
Addressing climate concerns, he presents modeling results indicating that increased U.S. oil and gas production would have a minimal projected impact on global temperatures. He advocates for a free-market energy approach in which all sources — including fossil fuels, nuclear, wind, and solar — compete without subsidies.
He concludes that policymakers should prioritize energy independence, avoid overreliance on adversarial nations, reduce restrictive carbon regulations, and expand responsible domestic energy development to strengthen economic prosperity and national security.
