About ERNEST SCHEYDERErnest Scheyder is an award-winning journalist, author, and senior correspondent for Reuters. He specializes in distilling complex topics for a wide range of audiences, including and especially everyday consumers directly affected by regulatory, political, and industry transitions. In 2024, he published the widely acclaimed book, The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives (One Signal/Simon & Schuster), a human-focused narrative exploring the people that live on the energy transition’s front lines and an urgent guide to the rapidly growing critical minerals supply chain. The book was named a top pick by Fortune’s editors and earned plaudits from The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Marketplace, Barron’s, WBUR’s On Point, Science magazine, The Christian Science Monitor, BBC World, Kirkus (starred review) and many others. Energy historian Daniel Yergin declared the book “vividly captures the physical and political landscape over which the future is being fought.” A native of Maine, Ernest’s interest in journalism and writing began when he founded his high school newspaper. He attended the University of Maine and Columbia Journalism School. He joined The Associated Press as a business reporter in 2007 just before the fall of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, helping to chronicle the early days of the global financial crisis. Since first joining Reuters in 2009, Ernest has reported deeply on the two biggest energy transitions of our modern times: the U.S. shale oil revolution and the clean energy shift. He based for nearly two years in North Dakota, covering the shale oil boom from a unique perch. His coverage of Exxon Mobil and Chevron centered on helping consumers understand how their pocketbooks are affected by the oil industry’s moves. He reported in text and video from three OPEC meetings in Vienna, directly chronicling the organization’s economic influence on the global stage. As demand rose for lithium, copper, and other critical minerals, he dove into reporting on the people and places reshaping global energy production and the geopolitical implications of this transition. Ernest also covered the 2020 U.S. presidential election campaign for Reuters, including a stint embedded with the Biden campaign. Along with colleagues, he was awarded a Society of News Design Award of Excellence in 2024 for an in-depth, visual-first investigation into deep-sea mining. His report on the ubiquity of the chemical bisphenol A was named a finalist for a Deadline Club award. He has covered multiple hurricanes and other natural disasters, including a deeply reported investigation into the Red Cross’s inept response to Superstorm Sandy. He also covered the Sandy Hook shootings and the Penn State abuse scandal. Ernest’s work has been featured in TIME, Fast Company, Marketplace, On Point, Barron’s, and many others. He is a frequent moderator and panelist at a range of conferences and is a passionate support of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. He lives in Houston, Texas, with his family. |