Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Mark Hickson, EVP, Corporate Development & Strategy at NextEra Energy, discusses his career working in energy finance, NextEra’s decarbonization strategy, and his advice for students. Presented at the 2023 Duke University Energy Conference, hosted at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in Durham, NC. Part of Energy Week at Duke.

Interested in learning more about energy, climate, and sustainability at Duke? Check out these resources:

Energy Week at Duke – energyweekatduke.org
Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability - https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/
Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE) - https://centers.fuqua.duke.edu/edge/
Duke University Climate Commitment - https://climate.duke.edu/

Watch past Duke University Energy Conferences:

2022 Energy Conference playlist - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwEToxwSycW0omQwmdgdrGi_toRrPGfaq
2021 Energy Conference playlist - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwEToxwSycW3M2BZjjcKgSjluX_Nh6z0Z
2020 Energy Conference playlist - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwEToxwSycW1sf5o9J2f-5Mzf6v_eN958
2019 Energy Conference Playlist - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwEToxwSycW0RTXZNacXArvV0adEw79LB
2018 Energy Conference Playlist - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwEToxwSycW0tRQKH50133UlpGmWdp6X7
2017 Energy Conference Playlist - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwEToxwSycW1dFmqx6UQ359FjMOX3Aiba
2016 Energy Conference Playlist - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwEToxwSycW32sOPxDg3Yx47aLi448h1T


Chapters
00:00 Welcome & intro
02:14 Career path
08:30 Investing in renewables
14:47 Decarbonizing industrial sectors
18:54 Synthetic natural gas
24:26 Inflation Reduction Act impacts
28:01 Career advice