Issue Brief
Introduction Geothermal energy is the process by which naturally occurring steam and hot water are used to generate zero-emission energy, at both small- and utility-scale. Current technology drills wells deep into the Earth to harness geothermal resources for use aboveground. While geothermal is currently only four percent of the United States’ electricity production, a recent […]
Background On January 26, the Biden Administration announced a de facto ban on pending decisions for exports of liquified natural gas (LNG) to non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries, until the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) updates the underlying analyses for authorizations. The announcement sparked extensive global debate and for good reason. The lack of clear […]
Introduction The United States’ agricultural sector is a global leader in productivity while directly producing about 10 percent of the nation’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In comparison, both China and India each have almost twice the emissions as the U.S. from their agricultural sectors. Some of this success is owed to the conservation programs […]
Expanding and Modernizing Transmission Infrastructure to Facilitate Reliability, Resilience, Lower Costs, and Drive Growth Reliability, Resilience and Clean Energy Transmission infrastructure allows electricity generated in one location to be transported, sometimes over long distances, to distribution lines and ultimately, to the consumer. Long-distance transmission is often necessary for utility-scale wind and solar generation to reach […]
Industrial emissions have been steadily on the rise and could soon exceed emissions in the power sector as it continues its successful decarbonization efforts. As demand for industrial commodities grows in developing nations, it matters where these goods are produced. In the U.S., manufactured products are 40% more carbon efficient than the world average. Therefore, […]
The key to making the most of zero-carbon electricity When the energy produced by renewable technologies such as solar photovoltaic panels or wind turbines exceeds demand, which often happens during Spring and Summer months when there is abundant sunshine, that output is reduced, or curtailed. In short, these resources are taken offline. The production of […]
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) capabilities need to be drastically expanded in order to meet the goal of keeping the global average temperature increase below 2°C. The IEA estimates that to achieve this target, the number of industrial scale carbon capture facilities needs to increase from the […]
Energy storage is considered the “holy grail” of energy because it allows for stockpiling unused power for when consumers need it the most. Currently, the U.S. electricity grid only has enough cumulative storage capacity to provide power for around 20 minutes – or a mere 10 seconds if only battery storage is considered. The development […]
Hydropower is the United States’ oldest and most reliable renewable energy resource, and its potential still is not fully tapped. As we work to decarbonize the power sector, hydropower’s unique benefits are an essential part of any climate solution. Moreover, hydropower has great potential to produce more power with a smaller environmental footprint than ever […]
Facebook, Google, Walmart and Sony; Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Minneapolis—these are just some of the major corporations and U.S. cities that have pledged to transition to 100% renewable electricity sources over the next few decades. With new commitments being announced on a near- daily basis, it seems clear that growing numbers of citizens, civic organizations […]