US shale oil and gas production will continue to lead the petroleum industry, but engineers and investors will closely watch delivery rates and decline curves. Elsewhere, new processes will add value to coal, but won’t solve its essential problem: It’s inherently dirty. The nuclear power industry will reintroduce itself across the world through safer, cleaner fuels and reactors. And the emerging hydrogen economy will debut through conventional-vehicle manufacturers and the unveiling of at least one breakthrough technology.
