Wade Hutchings

The Power of Energy: How Does God's Purpose for the Earth Intersect with the Energy Transition?

In the year 2025, approximately 100 million barrels of oil are used every day worldwide—billions of barrels each year. This astonishing number is set to increase as countries in Africa and Asia continue to develop and the global population continues to rise. The question arises: What, if anything, should be done to implement a transition to renewable energy?

Wade Hutchings, introduced by department chair Dr. Brooks Britt at the March 27, 2025 seminar, gave his presentation to BYU geology students, titled "The Power of Energy: How Does God's Purpose for the Earth Intersect with the Energy Transition?" Hutchings is an industry expert in the field of oil and gas. He is a co-founder of Orchard Energy, an oil and gas investment company, as well as an emeritus chairman of the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma. He has over twenty-four years of industry experience and has served in numerous notable leadership roles over his career. He received his Bachelor of Science in geology from BYU and his Master of Geology from the University of Texas at Austin.

For Wade Hutchings, it's important that people are educated about what being environmentally responsible really means, and what our levels of fossil fuel consumption should be. He explained that, according to Genesis 1:28, God's purpose in creating the Earth and the universe was primarily for our benefit. The resources that we have available to use for our own benefit should be utilized, and we shouldn't necessarily feel bad for doing so. However, with great power comes great responsibility, as shown in D&C 59:20, which states that "it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion."

He also referenced a talk given by Bishop Caussé that further emphasizes this idea that there should be a balance in how we use God's gifts. Bishop Caussé explained that the entire Earth and all life on it are creations of God and that we as His children were appointed to be stewards of His creations, caring for and honoring what has been given to us. We were also given the capacity to produce our own creations that improve our lives. This extends to caring for other people in the world who may not have been given the same opportunities as we were—the poor and the needy. President Russel M. Nelson said, "As beneficiaries of the divine Creation, what shall we do? We should care for the earth, be wise stewards over it, and preserve it for future generations." Thus, being environmentally responsible is a very important goal that should be pursued.

However, while having clean sources of energy is very important, Hutchings explained that there are other important factors to consider as well. Most of the world suffers from energy poverty, meaning they can barely afford to provide their citizens with any kind of energy at all. Their main focus is first to provide more energy that is cheaper and more reliable that can reach more people. These countries desire a better economy to improve the lives of their people, and reliable and secure energy is an enormous contributor to achieving this. The reality is that the United States and other countries that are economically stable enough to afford considering cleaner energy sources came to wealth largely because of the use of gas, oil, and coal. Other developing countries are very aware of this fact and desire to experience that same wealth. Oil, gas, and coal, even with their negative environmental impacts, give people a higher quality of life. Fuel for cooking, concrete and steel, plastic, and fertilizer all rely on the oil and gas industry, improving the lives of billions of people around the world.

As part of our stewardship of the Earth, we are charged with caring for those who stand in need of assistance. As Hutchings puts it, oil, gas, and coal are unavoidable requirements for improving and sustaining a high quality of life. For the time being, the need for these resources will only continue to rise as countries develop and more people gain access to reliable energy. With that growth, however, comes progress and development that prevents suffering for millions of people. Therefore, despite what people might say, these industries will only continue to grow worldwide and there will always be a demand for people who are not only capable, but also cognizant of using our God-given resources effectively and responsibly.