Biography
Gabriel Collins is the Baker Botts Fellow in Energy & Environmental Regulatory Affairs at Rice University's Baker Institute. He was previously an associate attorney at Baker Hostetler, LLP, and is the co-founder of the China SignPost™ (洞察中国) analysis portal. Collins has worked in the Department of Defense as a China analyst and as a private sector global commodity researcher, authoring more than 100 commodity analysis reports, both for private clients and for publication.
Collins’ research portfolio is global. His work currently focuses on legal, environmental and economic issues relating to water — including the food-water-energy nexus — as well as unconventional oil and gas development, and the intersection between global commodity markets and a range of environmental, legal and national security issues. His analysis draws from a broad swath of geospatial and other data streams, and often incorporates insights from sources in Chinese, Russian and Spanish.
Collins received his B.A. from Princeton University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. He is licensed to practice law in Texas.
Contact him at gabe.collins@rice.edu or (713) 348-5939.
Recent Publications
To Fight Severe Drought, China Is Turning to Technology
Aimed at combating severe drought, China’s water diversion project is expected to cost $62 billion. But fellow Gabe Collins said that these large-scale engineering efforts “could actually exacerbate the drought situation.
China’s Drought Threatens Nation’s Energy, Food and Economic Security
Drought is straining China’s energy resources, with Sichuan’s largest coal-fired power plant operating at full capacity for much of August. Energy fellow Gabriel Collins remarked that this was "eye-catching" because “the average plant utilization across China over the last few years has been closer to 50%."
China’s Growing Water Crisis
A looming water crisis in China not only could affect the country's grain and electricity production, it could also induce global food and industrial materials shortages, wrote fellow Gabe Collins and co-author Gopal Reddy.
External Publications
- "The M1 Abrams Is the Right Tank for the Job in Ukraine," Foreign Policy, January 24, 2023.
- "Ukraine Needs Long-Range Firepower for Victory," Foreign Policy, January 4, 2023.
- "Outlook 2023: America's Role in Global Gas Security," Petroleum Economist, November 23, 2022.
- "Competition First? Anchoring U.S. Climate & Energy Strategy Amidst Geostrategic Competition With China," November 15, 2021.
- "Time to Curb Manufacturing Dependency on China," China Sign Post, March 24, 2020.
- "Satellite-based Rader Assess CNPC Management of Crude Pipelines," Oil & Gas Journal, September 2, 2019.
Presentations
- Gas Geoeconomics Essential to Win the “Long War” in Ukraine — and Asia. PowerPoint associated with the Baker Institute report on "Winning the Long War in Ukraine Requires Gas Geoeconomics." Sept. 22, 2022.
- Is China Militarizing Its Oil & Gas Security Policies? Research presentation, April 27, 2022.
- Global Energy Transitions: Complex, Massive and Slow. Presented to Valve Manufacturers Association of America, April 7, 2022
- Citizens Climate Lobby, Oct. 11, 2021: A New Strategy for Climate Progress Amidst an Incipient U.S.-China Cold War
- CES-Baker Botts Annual Energy Summit, Sept. 29-30, 2021: Clash of the Carbon Titans
- The Energy Forum, New York, Sept. 14, 2021: Without Bold Action, Electricity Insecurity will Imperil the Texas Growth Story
- Texas Groundwater Summit, Aug. 31, 2021: Over-Ruling the Rule of Capture: What Can Texas Learn From 10 Other States’ Groundwater Law Updates?
- Oilfield Water Markets 2021 Conference: U.S. Produced Water Legislation & Regulation Impacts the Energy Transition, Emissions Reductions, and Human Wellbeing
- Baker Institute Research Presentation: China's Energy Supply and Demand in the 2020s.
A strategic overview of key trends that are already influencing — or are poised to shape — China’s energy strategy in the 2020s. - 2020 IWC Water Conference: Does Thinking About Water as a Commodity Advance Global Water Security? Keynote Address | PowerPoint Presentation
- Energy Poverty and Water-driven Mortality
- EarthxEnergy – Responsible Energy Acquisition Conference: Global Energy Transition in the 2020s: Managing Externalities Takes Center Stage
- Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists: Exploring China’s Centrality to the Global Energy System and Environment
- Baker Botts-CES Annual Energy Summit: 10 Key Dimensions of a Resilient Global Energy Transition
- Darcy Partners: Fundamental factors that define oil and gas demand on a macro level