Professional Affiliation

Instructor, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin

Expert Bio

Dr. Thomas W. O’Donnell is an international academic and expert analyst on energy and international affairs, especially the global oil and gas sectors. His regional work has included the USA, EU (esp. Germany), Russia, China and the OPEC states of the Middle East and Latin America (esp. Venezuela). He teaches in Berlin at Hertie School of Governance (Masters of International Affairs) and at Freie Universitӓt’s European Studies Program. Previously, he taught at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and New School University (Graduate Economics and Graduate International Affairs).  He was a DAAD fellow at the American Institute of Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) in Washington German energy vulnerabilities, and in 2008 and 2009 was a US Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Professor in Caracas at the Center for the Study of Development of the Central University of Venezuela (CENDES/UCV). O'Donnell's PhD thesis is in experimental nuclear physics (U. Michigan, Ann Arbor), having coauthored some 40 peer-reviewed physics papers. In the 1970-80’s, he worked in US automobile manufacturing, railways, and in energy engineering while an organizer of labor and social-political movements and is a writer.  In the 1990-99’s, during physics and complex-systems research at U. Michigan, he taught courses on historical technological change, Energy in the Middle East and N. Africa, on the Information Era, Energy and Environment, and advanced physics laboratories. He speaks English, Spanish and German. He resides in Berlin.

Wilson Center Project

Washington Viewpoints on the Energy and Geostrategic Relations between Russia, Ukraine, Poland & Germany

Project Summary

In recent years, Russia’s use of its natural gas exports for geopolitical ends has been a source of tension and crises for Ukraine and the Visegrád 4 (Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary) relations with both Russia and Germany, as well as between Russia and Germany. In all these matters, the USA continues to play a pivotal role. For this reason, Dr. O’Donnell is conducting in-depth interviews with Washington experts and officials, for their viewpoints on energy and geostrategic relations between and among these states, and to discern the intentions of the Trump-administration and Congress.

Major Publications

• King’s College-London, Newsletter of the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (peer reviewed)
  • Germany backs small-scale LNG import terminals despite opposition, EUCERS Newsletter, Issue 77, July 2018
• Berlin Policy Journal: (of DGAP: German Council on Foreign Relations)
  • Germany’s Real LNG Policy, 4 July 2018
  • Neue Neue Ostpolitik: What lies behind the US-German spat over new Russian sanctions affecting the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project? July/Aug. 2017
  • An Oil-Price War’s Surprise Ending: No one expected shale producers to survive extended low oil prices, but they have. The next act could prove even more destabilizing. 29 November 2016 
  • Pipe Dream? The Nord Stream 2 pipeline project is in danger of being derailed (on the implications of Polish competition authority's decision). 22 September 2016
  • Bypass Operation: Nord Stream 2, Russia-to-Germany pipeline deal, raises questions October 20, 201
  • Containing Gazprom: Putin may be overplaying his hand on gas – but no thanks to Berlin and Paris August 10, 2015
  • Oil Price Collaterals: Saudi strategy shakes Russia, Iran & Venezuela, but they’re not targets Feb 4, 2015
• IP Journal: (DGAP: German Council on Foreign Relations)
  • EU’s “Stress Test” of a Russian gas cutoff: Official optimism? Nov 22, 2014
  • Addressing Europe’s Energy Dependence on Russia: Gas Globalization? May 6, 2014
  • “A firm US-EU partnership on Iran came at great cost, and made a deal possible” August 14, 2014
  • Energiewende vs. USA Shale Gas: Can German industry compete? January 22, 2014
• Americas Quarterly (AS/COA: Americas Society & Council on the Americas, New York & Washington)
  • Russia Is Beating China to Venezuela’s Oil Fields February 4, 2016
  • Paralyzed on Economic Reforms, Venezuela Will Mortgage Citgo February 5, 2015
  • Maduro’s Conundrum as UNASUR Starts Venezuelan Peace Talks April 12, 2014
  • Venezuelan state’s economic response to protests: Rationing plus Chinese and Russian loans to float a liberal dollar market March 16, 2014
• AICGS Advisor (American Institute of Contemporary German Studies), Washington, DC
  • "US energy experts' viewpoints on German and EU energy policies" DAAD/AICGS Fellow Report  June 2015,  
  • The EU-US “Oil Weapon”: Putin’s overtures to OPEC, China & Iran reveal desperation April 23, 2015
  • The P5+1–Iran Deal: Obama’s Initial Challenge was to Rally EU-3 Allies to the Cause April 14, 2015