Columbia University
The Thinker Statue Wikicommons: Billy Hathorn

The keynote speaker at Columbia University's Energy Symposium on Friday Exxon Vice President Ken Cohen urged civil debate over the the current hotbutton issues in the volatile energy sector.

He said: "Good energy policy should be based on rigorous discussion of the facts," and before the first panel discussion he said "as a democracy we can have a civil debate."

Cohen is the keynote speaker at the 9th annual Columbia University Energy Symposium, titled, Future Now: Energy Progress in the 21st Century, presented current and future trends in the energy sector in the U.S. and world.

Cohen is not the only speaker at the daylong event, panel discussions on the environment, geo-politics and renewables from experts in the field will present.

Stay tuned for updates from key outcomes from the event throughout the day.