Energy has become one of the most important competitive advantages in the global economy. Countries that can produce it reliably, affordably, and at scale attract manufacturing, investment, and jobs. As supply chains reshuffle and geopolitics reshape where capital flows, energy reliability is no longer just an infrastructure issue, it’s a business strategy.
The United States still produces enormous amounts of energy, but much of its infrastructure was built for speed, not longevity. The U.S. energy sector supports more than 10 million jobs and contributes over $1.7 trillion to the economy when direct and indirect activity are included, yet large portions of the system are operating well beyond their original design life. The result is an industry that produces at scale but absorbs unnecessary risk, cost, and downtime along the way. That gap between output and efficiency is where competitiveness loses ground.
This is the space where Prakash Nevil Fernandes has spent the past 15 years working. His focus is not on producing more energy, but on helping the U.S. energy system compete better. He works on the technologies and execution standards that determine whether wells become recurring liabilities or long-term assets.
Much of that work happens at the level of safety and isolation systems installed deep underground. These valves and control mechanisms are designed to shut in pressure during failures, storms, or equipment damage. When they are poorly designed or poorly deployed, a single fault can shut down production across multiple wells. When they work, they quietly protect billions of dollars in energy assets and keep operations online. Fernandes’s role is to ensure those systems perform as intended, even under extreme conditions.
“What inspires me most is the opportunity to apply engineering excellence in ways that meaningfully enhance safety, reliability, and sustainability within the global energy ecosystem,” Fernandes says. “I have seen how thoughtful engineering decisions made at the right time and executed with discipline can significantly reduce risk, protect lives, and safeguard the environment.”
One of the biggest structural problems in U.S. energy operations is inconsistency. Many domestic wells are designed quickly and cheaply, then repaired repeatedly over their lifetime. In contrast, international operators increasingly use standardized designs and disciplined execution to reduce downtime and extend asset life. Fernandes has spent years bringing those global lessons into U.S. projects by upgrading materials, redesigning critical components, and pushing for systems that perform reliably under extreme conditions. His work often sets technical standards that are replicated across fields and projects, multiplying the economic impact of each design decision.
These decisions have real economic consequences. When equipment fails, operators lose production, incur unplanned workover costs, and delay future development. When systems hold, energy becomes predictable, capital lasts longer, and supply chains stabilize. Reliability becomes a competitive advantage.
That same thinking is now shaping carbon capture and storage, one of the most important growth opportunities in the energy sector. CCS is increasingly viewed as essential for reducing emissions from heavy industry without sacrificing output, and it is quickly becoming an infrastructure race of its own. The technology captures carbon dioxide at the source and stores it in geological formations. But scaling CCS requires systems that can operate under extreme pressure and corrosive conditions.
To stay globally competitive, Fernandes believes the U.S. must modernize aging infrastructure while strengthening domestic and allied supply chains for critical components. “A robust domestic and allied supply chain especially for critical components such as valves, actuators, and corrosion-resistant alloys is essential to controlling costs, improving lead times, and ensuring continuity during geopolitical or economic disruptions,” he shares.
Competitiveness is also increasingly tied to carbon performance. Global buyers and investors are demanding lower-emission energy without sacrificing reliability. That is where carbon capture and storage enters the picture, not as a climate gesture, but as an economic tool. CCS allows existing infrastructure to operate cleanly while maintaining output, helping U.S. energy companies stay relevant in markets that are rapidly pricing carbon into contracts.
The United States is uniquely positioned to lead this shift. It has the geology, the industrial base, and the technical workforce to deploy CCS at scale. Widespread adoption could create thousands of skilled jobs across manufacturing, logistics, monitoring, and field operations. But success depends on execution. Equipment must withstand extreme pressure, temperature, and corrosive environments. Operations must be precise.
“The challenge of solving complex subsurface problems while supporting the energy transition is what drives me,” Fernandes says.
His work also bridges a gap that often slows innovation. While private-sector R&D is advancing next-generation safety and sustainability technologies, deployment is frequently delayed by regulatory uncertainty and fragmented execution. Fernandes works across teams to turn new designs into field-ready systems, helping operators move from theory to performance without sacrificing reliability. The result is energy infrastructure that lasts longer, fails less often, and costs less to operate, strengthening U.S. competitiveness without requiring new production or new land.
That approach matters as energy becomes a strategic asset tied to economic stability. Countries that control reliable, affordable, low-carbon energy infrastructure will have stronger supply chains and greater geopolitical leverage.
The future of American energy competitiveness will be decided by thousands of technical decisions made far below the surface, where small failures become large losses and smart design becomes a national advantage. Fernandes is helping ensure those decisions work in America’s favor, keeping the energy system competitive and built to last for the next generation of American industry.
