Matthew Simmons, chairman, Simmons & Co. International Oil industry analyst Matthew Simmons draws on his extensive experience in the global energy market to assess the future of Saudi Arabia's oil production capacity. In his new book, Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy, Simmons argues that Saudi reserves could soon face a serious and irreversible decline, and considers what the world will look like when Saudi petroleum reserves peak. How high will prices rise? What impact will shortages have on the growing, energy hungry economies of India and China? Rather than hope for the discovery of new oil resources, Simmons presents a blueprint for a new global economy as the age of cheap oil ends. How important is conservation? Which alternative energy sources are most promising? Matthew Simmons is chairman of Simmons & Company International, a Houston-based investment bank that specializes in the energy industry. He is a member of the National Petroleum Council and the Council on Foreign Relations. http://www.forum-network.org/wgbh/forum.php?lecture_id=3131 The WGBH Forum Network is presented by WGBH in association with the Lowell Institute and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.