How do you explain to someone with a negative perception of the energy industry that it isn’t quite as bad as some have proclaimed it to be?

The curious minds at EY were tasked by energy executives to put into perspective the public’s perception of the industry. According to the EY-issued report on the 2017 Oil and Gas Perception Poll, of the 1,204 Americans ages 16 and older surveyed, 41% responded with a positive perception of the energy industry. But of that percentage, 40% think of power plants or local utilities first, followed by oil at 18% and natural gas at 8%.

Oil’s necessity is credited for its positive perception. However, it is its environmental impact that is credited for its negative perception. Natural gas scored higher, with 59% of respondents citing it with positive perceptions vs. oil’s 35%. This higher score was in part due to gas being “clean-burning” and more “affordable.”

It was a bit of shock to see that, overall, young people “increasingly feel shunted by the industry, and their environmental values are not matched by oil and gas companies,” the report said. In particular, teens (ages 16-18) see the industry as bad for society and as a problem causer. And 71% of teens believe renewables are the fuels of their generation, while 56% said oil and gas are the fuels of their parents’ generation.

The growing disconnect between the industry and the public is one that we’ve all heard about in various settings. How can we best share with the public the advances made on the environmental front—for example, the shift from diesel fuel to natural gas to power field operations? Certainly, industry outreach efforts like the recent reboot of the Houston Museum of Natural Science Weiss Energy Hall will go far in educating the public.

I challenge each of you in the new year to find ways to change perceptions of the industry. Drop me a note with your suggestions, and let’s work together to change realities and inspire the next generation to lead the energy industry far into the future.

Speaking of changing realities, I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that my position at Hart Energy changed as of Jan. 1, 2018. As the executive editor, I now steer the process of getting a top-quality magazine out the door and into your hands each month. Also, Judy Murray, former E&P editor and industry expert, has returned to the team as a senior contributing editor, with a particular focus on the offshore market.

As noted in this month’s “Industry Pulse,” there is a perception that the industry is slow to adopt new technologies. But it is a rapidly changing reality as advances in automation, digitalization, the Industrial Internet of Things and more will leave us with plenty to write about in the years ahead.

Contact the author at jpresley@hartenergy.com.