• WPC 2024
  • March 18-22, 2024

Edward Stones

Dow

Business Vice President, Energy and Climate

Edward Stones is business vice president, Energy and Climate for Dow. He is responsible for delivering business profitability and more than 10 GW of steam and power at the 14 company-operated power facilities, as well as steam, utilities, and energy service to more than 100 manufacturing facilities globally. He leads Dow’s energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction efforts, serving as a member of the Company’s Climate Steering Team, and as executive sponsor for its scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions reductions efforts. He actively participates in the Company’s global advocacy efforts for energy sustainability and climate change.

Stones is a respected thought leader in the areas of energy transition, climate change, and industrial decarbonization. He has provided testimony to the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on the opportunities and challenges of deploying advanced nuclear technology in the industrial sector. He has also testified before the US Senate Energy Committee on the role of natural gas in climate change, and to the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. He was appointed to the Texas Energy Reliability Council.

Prior to his current role, Stones served as Dow’s global business director for Energy and Climate Change. He joined Union Carbide Corporation in 1997, now a subsidiary of Dow, as a manufacturing engineer at the St. Charles, Louisiana site. After a number of manufacturing, finance and commercial roles in Hydrocarbons, Specialty Chemicals and Plastics, he was named Director, Energy Risk in 2007. He relocated to Horgen, Switzerland and was named Director, Hydrocarbons Business Development and EMEA Plastics Strategic Development in 2010. In 2012, he was appointed Director, Global Hydrocarbons Business Development and Hydrocarbons Risk Management. In 2014, Stones relocated to Midland and was appointed Senior Director for Investor Relations.

Stones holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University, and an MBA from Louisiana State University.

Sessions With Edward Stones

Thursday, 21 March

  • 08:00am - 09:30am (CST) / 21/mar/2024 01:00 pm - 21/mar/2024 02:30 pm

    Olefins in a Time of Turbulence

    Finding growth opportunities and managing energy transition through an industry trough
    The olefins and derivatives market is going through challenging margins currently. However, even amdist the industry trough, there are growth opportunities for some key geographies to capitalise on and emerging technologies to manage energy transition issues. 

    8:00 AM: Welcome Remarks - Tony Potter, Vice President - Chemicals, Derivatives, Plastics & Materials, S&P Global Commodity Insights
    8:05 AM: A Leading Player's View on the Future of the Olefins Industry - Edward Stones, Business Vice President, Energy and Climate, Dow
    8:30 AM: Global Ethylene Overview: Viewing the Energy Transition from the Trough - Walt Hart, Olefins Americas Lead, S&P Global Commodity Insights
    Although ethylene markets are currently in a margin trough, the industry will eventually recover, and operating rates will improve. Meanwhile, Energy Transition and Sustainability developments are very dynamic, making future success a moving target. Despite recent adversity, it is important to position for the future upcycle market reflecting demand growth trends, effects on feedstocks and other market influences while many countries decarbonize. This presentation will review the current ethylene market situation and discuss some of the uncertainties impacting the recovery.
    8:45 AM: Global Propylene Overview - How do you solve a "problem" like on-purpose production steps? - Larry Tan, Chemicals Insight, APAC Lead, S&P Global Commodity Insights
    What is the status and role of on-purpose propylene production steps in the current challenging times of over-supply and low margins, especially in China ? Are there solutions in managing through the industry trough?
    9:00 AM: Global C4s and Butadiene Overview - Will China be the next “game changer” ? - Bernd Helbing, Director, C4s & Elastomers, Lead, S&P Global Commodity Insights 
    “Second wave” of new BDE extraction units.
    9:15 AM: Q&A