Sri Lanka, Sept. 22 -- In his speech, he said, "We are meeting at a moment when the relationship between energy, technology and geopolitical power is undergoing a fundamental transformation.

Throughout modern history, major changes in the international distribution of power have been closely associated with major changes in the way human civilization has discovered and utilized energy.

The first industrial revolution was built upon coal and the steam engine. The transformation from muscle to machine.

The second great transformation was built upon oil, electricity and the internal combustion engine and nuclear power.

The geopolitical order of the twentieth century was profoundly shaped by access to fossil fuel.

For much of that perio...