Energy Transition, AI, and Geopolitics

About Ken Silverstein | Energy Transition & Geopolitical Analyst

Ken Silverstein is a Geopolitical Analyst and Veteran Journalist providing deep-dive insights into the global energy transition.

Over the course of thirty years, he has served as a beat reporter, columnist, and editor, covering the industry’s most pivotal moments—from the collapse of Enron to the modern ‘Path to Zero’ and the rise of AI infrastructure.

Beat Coverage: Global Energy Markets, Carbon Policy & Integrity, Nuclear Economics, and the “Energy-Tech Collision.”
Career Reach: 25+ years covering industry accountability, from the fall of Enron to the “Path to Zero.” His work is a primary resource for federal regulators, legal scholars at Stanford and SMU, and global institutions like the United States Energy Association and the Brookings Institution. 

Ken Silverstein has been a senior contributor at Forbes for more than 14 years and a former contributor to the Christian Science Monitor. He’s written for publications based in China, Russia, and Colombia, and he’s been published in several dozen newspapers, magazines, and websites, including pick-ups on Google News, MSN, Yahoo, and Yahoo Finance. 

Ken Silverstein: AI, Geopolitical and Energy Transition Journalist

Ken Silverstein is also a syndicated columnist for InsideSources, which networks with more than 300 newspapers. Some papers where he has appeared:

A full archive of his syndicated reporting — including work for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Charleston Gazette-Mail, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Omaha World-Herald, and Boulder Daily-Camera — is available on Muckrack. 

The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, The Huffington Post, and National Public Radio have sourced his work. Several newspapers and magazines in the United States and abroad have referenced his work. So have academic journals, books, and congressional committees. 

Ken Silverstein’s Regulatory & Legal Records

  • Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC): His investigative series on advanced metering was cited as a primary resource in the FERC 2006 Report to Congress, establishing a foundational record for federal energy legislation.

  • Congressional Research Service: The Library of Congress and the Congressional Research Service produced a report on electric resilience that cites his work. 

  • U.S. Senate Committee Testimony: His reporting on the North American shale revolution and natural gas supply was utilized to frame the discourse in Senate Hearing 112-246.

  • Oregon Public Service Commission: His 2004 investigative reporting for Energy Risk and UtiliPoint regarding the Enron/Portland General Electric divestiture and the UniSource Energy buyout was entered into the official record as formal testimony and exhibits in Case UM 1121.

  • Kentucky Public Service Commission: In 2017, his expert analysis of utility revenue loss and security protocols was entered as a formal exhibit in the LG&E and KU regulatory proceedings.

Silverstein Editorial: Global Policy & Strategy

  • Brookings Institution: Cited in the seminal policy paper The Dark Side of Solar. His 2016 investigation into the closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant served as a primary source for analyzing the economic and reliability challenges of replacing carbon-free nuclear power with renewables.

  • World Nuclear Industry Status Report: He is cited as an expert on nuclear construction economics in the 2009 Global Report.

  • Observer Research Foundation (ORF): His analysis of international energy security and grid modernization is utilized by the ORF Energy News Monitor to assess global investment risks.

  • The Baker Institute: His reporting on independent power producers and microgrids is featured in their historical energy policy archives.

  • Deloitte Insights: Cited in the definitive report Renewable transition: Separating perception from reality as a primary source for debunking myths regarding the 2020 California energy crisis and grid reliability.

Academic & Technical Journals

  • Duke University: Reporting on New York City’s energy storage goals is utilized as a primary resource for environmental policy coursework at the Nicholas School of the Environment.

  • MIT Press: His economic analysis of the energy industry is cited in the seminal text Solar Revolution by Travis Bradford.

  • Ferdinand Banks / Routledge: His reporting for EnergyBiz Insider serves as a foundational resource and primary source of industry analysis in the textbook The Political Economy of World Energy.

  • Stanford & SMU Law Reviews: His work is frequently used as a primary record of market behavior in legal scholarship, including the Stanford Law Review and the SMU Scholar repository.

  • MIT News: His coverage of joint MIT-Stanford studies on nuclear energy is featured in the MIT News archives.

  • Energy Bar Association: His work on the electricity-water nexus is the focal point here.

  • Energy Law Journal (2007 & 2009): His work is cited in major papers here regarding RTO success metrics and the electricity-water nexus. 

  • ABC-CLIO / Praeger: His analysis of international energy markets is featured in the reference handbook Energy Security Challenges for the 21st Century, a foundational resource used by global policy analysts and security researchers.

  • Houston Business & Tax Law Journal: His investigative work on the Enron collapse and its subsequent effect on federal energy policy is cited as a primary record of market behavior in legal scholarship.

Ken Silverstein’s Media & Syndication

  • National Syndication: His bi-weekly commentary is syndicated to over 300 newspapers via InsideSources.

  • Industry & Environmental Impact: His reporting on corporate accountability and the energy transition is featured in Daily Kos, Utility Dive, and The Breakthrough Institute. Also provided lead analysis for BizTimes Milwaukee on the financial impacts of utility mergers and the shifting insurance landscape for Wisconsin energy providers. Global influencers like Supercar Blondie have also tracked his work on advancing AI. Also quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and USA Today.  

Ken Silverstein has a B.A. and an M.B.A. degree from Tulane University and an M.A. from American University.

2012: Honored by Media Industry News as one of the Most Intriguing People in Media
2012: Awarded Gold for Original Web Commentary from American Society of Business Press Editors
2012: Named to Text100’s 25 Most Influential Energy Journalists
2011: Awarded by Media Industry News (MIN) for Best Online Column
2011: Named by Wall Street Economists as one of the Top Economics Journalists
2010: Honorable Mention for the Media Industry News’ Best Online Column
2008: American Society of Business Publication Editors finalist for “Outstanding Web Commentary.”
2007: Folio Awards. Best Magazine Feature
2006: Folio Awards, Editorial Excellence (EnergyBiz Magazine)
2002: Neal Award Finalist for Best Subject-Related Series (UB Mag)
2001: Folio Editorial Excellence Award (UB Mag)
2001: Primedia Magazines Foundation Award
1997: West Virginia Writers Annual Competition runner-up for best magazine essay
1997: Best Essay, West Virginia Quarterly

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  • Recipient of the ASBPE Gold Award for Outstanding Web Commentary and the MIN Online “Most Intriguing People in Media” honor. Senior Contributor at Forbes with nearly 30 years of energy and climate reporting experience.