Please join the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines as we welcome Fellows Alex Gilbert, VP of Regulation, Zeno Power and Coalter G. Lathrop, Principal, Sovereign Geographic, presenting a virtual seminar titled “The United States Reenters Deep Seabed Mining for Critical Minerals” on Wednesday, May 15, 2025.

With the 24 April 2025 Executive Order “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources”, the White House signaled renewed U.S. engagement on seabed mineral resource exploration, extraction and processing. However, the move has generated significant legal, economic, and environmental controversy. Join us as Payne Institute Fellows Alex Gilbert and Coalter Lathrop discuss the geopolitical implications of this directive and its potential impacts on the Law of the Sea and critical minerals supply.

Alex Gilbert is Vice President of Regulation at Zeno Power, leading safety and licensing efforts for first-of-a-kind nuclear batteries for maritime and space applications. He is a Fellow at the Payne Institute and a PhD candidate in the Space Resources program at the Colorado School of Mines.

Coalter Lathrop directs Sovereign Geographic, an international law firm assisting sovereign clients in the resolution of their territorial and boundary disputes. Lathrop is a Fellow at the Payne Institute. He holds a degree in marine policy from the University of Washington and a JD and LLM in International Law from Duke University.

Please join the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines as we welcome Dr. Dr. Roger Pielke, Jr., Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado, Boulder presenting a hybrid seminar titled What Happens When Self-Correction in Science Breaks Down? on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Golden, CO.  Free lunch will be provided.

A defining characteristic of the scientific method is that research is always subject to replication, reproduction, and challenge. As the late astronomer Carl Sagan once said: “Science is a self-correcting process. To be accepted, new ideas must survive the most rigorous standards of evidence and scrutiny.” But what happens when the self-correction process in science breaks down? In this talk Dr. Roger Pielke will share several examples of such self-correction failures in the field of climate science. Climate change is indeed real and serious, and aggressive policies for adaptation and mitigation make good sense. Our best chances for policy success lie in rigorous research and sustaining public trust in the integrity of that research. But recent data suggests that the scientific community does indeed face a crisis of diminishing public trust. He will emphasize the importance of maintaining the highest standard of integrity, especially in hotly contested political issues.

Roger Pielke Jr. is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he focuses on science and technology policy, the politicization of science, government science advice, and energy and climate. He is concurrently a professor emeritus in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder; a distinguished fellow at the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan; a research associate of Risk Frontiers (Sydney, Australia); and an honorary professor of University College London.

Before joining AEI, Dr. Pielke was a professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, a visiting professor at the University of Oslo, a senior fellow at the Breakthrough Institute, and James Martin Fellow of the University of Oxford. He also worked as a scientist for the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

Dr. Pielke oversees a popular Substack, the Honest Broker. He has been published widely in the popular press, including in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and the Financial Times. Dr. Pielke has testified before the US Congress on many occasions, at the invitation of both Democrats and Republicans.

Additionally, Dr. Pielke has written a number of books, including The Rightful Place of Science: Disasters and Climate Change (2018); The Edge: The War Against Cheating and Corruption in the Cutthroat World of Elite Sports (2016); Presidential Science Advisers: Reflections on Science, Policy and Politics (2011), with R. Klein; and The Climate Fix: What Scientists and Politicians Won’t Tell You About Global Warming (2010).

Dr. Pielke has a PhD in political science, a MA in public policy, and a BA in mathematics, all from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Please join the Mines University Lecture Series in Electrochemical Sciences and Technologies (MUSE) as they welcome Dr. Yet-Ming Chiang, Kyocera Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology presenting Game-Changing Technologies for Earth, Energy, & Environment on Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Golden, CO.

Evolving global needs and desires for a sustainable future have shined a spotlight on large scale energy systems and industrial processes that have served society admirably for 100-200 years, but now need to be re-invented to be more energy efficient, emit less pollution, and rely less on scarce mineral resources. The simultaneous growth of low-cost electricity offers opportunities to innovate through electrochemistry. To achieve impact on relevant time scales, it is essential that proposed electrochemical approaches be highly scalable. This talk will discuss three examples where electrochemistry at scale may meet these criteria. The first is long-duration energy storage, where the development of iron-air batteries offers a pathway to greater grid resiliency by allowing multi-day gaps in electricity supply to be bridged cost-effectively. A second is the use of electrolytic processes to produce chemical reagents for minerals processing, specifically applied to the production of higher performing, lower embodied energy replacements for Portland cement. Lastly, the concept of a metal-air fuel cycle to enable transmission of clean electricity from locations of low-cost electricity to centers of consumption, without wires, will be discussed.

Yet-Ming Chiang is Kyocera Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, where his research focuses on sustainable technologies including non-aqueous and aqueous batteries for transportation and grid-scale storage, electrochemical production of industrial materials, and sustainable mining. Chiang is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society, Materials Research Society, American Ceramic Society, and the National Academy of Inventors. His work in energy and sustainability has been recognized by the Forbes Sustainability Leaders award (2024), TIME 100 Climate award (2023), the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneer Award (2016), the Economist’s Innovation Award (2012), The Electrochemical Society Battery Division’s Battery Technology Award (2012), and an R&D 100 Editor’s Choice Award (2006). Chiang has brought several laboratory discoveries to commercialization,  including high-power lithium iron phosphate batteries, a semi-solid electrode approach to low-cost lithium-ion battery manufacturing, batteries for long-duration grid storage, and an
electrochemical process for decarbonizing cement production. He has co-founded several companies based on his research including American Superconductor Corporation (1987), A123 Systems (2001), 24M Technologies (2010), Desktop Metal (2015), Form Energy (2017), Sublime Systems (2020), Propel Aero (2023), Rock Zero (2024), and Addis Energy (2024). He co-directed the MIT Future of Energy Storage study (2022) and leads the Center for Electrification and Decarbonization of Industry, a flagship project of MIT’s Climate Grand Challenges program.

About the Event
MUSE (≡ Mines University lecture Series in Electrochemical sciences and technologies) is a new public lecture series launched by the Colorado School of Mines this year.  Electrochemical technologies are poised to revolutionize our energy future, and Mines has broad expertise in electrochemistry fundamentals as well as applied technology development. This lecture series is curated to celebrate electrochemistry at Mines with a world-renowned expert whose work has had an overarching impact spanning electrochemical sciences and technologies, for example, Yet-Ming Chiang – our inaugural MUSE speaker.

Please join the IEFA as they welcome Payne Institute Director Dr. Morgan Bazilian presenting Arizona’s Copper Corridor: A Catalyst for Sustainable Growth at the Phoenix Global Forum on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 in Phoenix, AZ.

ARIZONA’S COPPER CORRIDOR: A CATALYST FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
In Collaboration with Resolution Copper

Arizona’s Copper Corridor is poised to play a pivotal role in the global shift toward a sustainable, technology-driven economy. As one of the world’s most significant copper-producing regions, it sits at the crossroads of resource extraction, technological advancement, and clean energy development. How can Arizona harness its copper reserves to accelerate industrial electrification, expand renewable energy infrastructure, and support emerging technologies such as electric vehicles and advanced electronics? What are the broader economic implications of this sector’s growth, and how can it drive long-term prosperity while balancing environmental sustainability? What key enablers, ranging from policy frameworks and workforce development to infrastructure investments, should be prioritized to ensure the continued success and competitiveness of Arizona’s Copper Corridor in the evolving global economy?

SPEAKERS

Victoria Peacey, President and General Manager, Resolution Copper

Mila Besich, Mayor of Superior, Arizona

Tommy Beaudreau, Partner, WilmerHale

Morgan Bazilian, Director, Payne Institute and Professor of Public Policy, Colorado School of Mines

Moderated by Jordan Rose, Founder and President, Rose Law Group

Please join the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines as we host an expert panel for a hybrid seminar discussing Critical Minerals from Mine Wastes – Legacy Mine Waste as an Opportunity for Restoration and Remining Projects on Thursday, April 10, 2025 in Golden, CO.

As the US focuses on domestic mineral supply chains, mine wastes are receiving increasing attention as one potential source of critical minerals. Panelists will discuss the challenges and opportunities around critical mineral production from mine tailings, mine waters, and other mine waste types. In addition to technical R&D, the panel will address the broader context of markets and policy, in particular the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act.

GUEST SPEAKERS:

Ty Churchwell, Trout Unlimited – Government Affairs Program, Mining Coordinator
Ty is the Mining Coordinator for Trout Unlimited (TU), America’s largest and oldest river and public land conservation organization based in DC. In his capacity, Ty oversees TU’s mining policy portfolio to include, Good Samaritan law implementation, critical minerals policy development and 1872 Mining Law reform. As a resident of Durango, Colorado, Ty also coordinates the Community Advisory Group (CAG) for the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site in San Juan County, Colorado.

Stephen D’Esposito, President & CEO, Regeneration | President & CEO, RESOLVE
Stephen D’Esposito is founder, President and CEO of Regeneration a B-Corp start-up that produces biodiversity, community, and climate positive minerals for the energy transition, green tech, and sustainable brands through remining, reprocessing, and restoration.

He also leads RESOLVE, a non-governmental organization that works with business, government, foundation, and NGO and community leaders to forge sustainable solutions to critical social, health, and environmental challenges.

He chairs the board of Nightjar, a conservation technology startup. It’s first produce TrailGuard AI, as named by TIME as one of the best inventions of 2023.

Elizabeth Holley, Associate Professor of Mining Engineering, Colorado School of Mines
Dr. Elizabeth Holley has worked in mineral exploration around the world. She is an Associate Professor at Colorado School of Mines and a fellow of the Payne Institute. She leads the Responsible Critical Minerals Initiative funded by the National Science Foundation and serves as the site director for the Industry-University Cooperative Research Center to Advance the Science of Exploration through Reclamation in Mining.

Cecilia Lazo-Sköld, Regeneration, Senior Director for Site Innovation
Cecilia Lazo-Sköld is the Senior Director for Site Innovation at Regeneration Enterprises, a public-benefit company that remines and restores legacy mining sites. She is a geochemist/environmental engineer, currently working on metal recovery from mine waste and waste repurpose. Lazo-Sköld previously worked at Rio Tinto Iron Ore as a technical expert advising different assets including copper operations in Mongolia, diamond and uranium operations in Australia, and lithium operations in Serbia. Prior to that, she worked on the cleanup of Superfund and abandoned mine sites in North America. She started her career working on nuclear waste disposal in Sweden. Lazo-Sköld received a B.S. in chemistry from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and an M.S. in environmental science and engineering from the Colorado School of Mines (1999).

Molly Morgan, PhD candidate in Geology, Colorado School of Mines
Molly Morgan is a PhD candidate in Geology at the Colorado School of Mines under the advisement of Dr. Elizabeth Holley. Her research focuses on copper recovery and non-traditional stable isotope dynamics in lime-treated acid mine drainage. She also explores how federal Good Samaritan legislation could shape future strategies for managing abandoned and legacy mine sites and advancing mineral-focused resource recovery.

MODERATOR:

Brad Handler, Program Director, Energy Finance Lab, Payne Institute for Public Policy at Colorado School of Mines
Brad Handler is the Program Director of the Energy Finance Lab at the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines. The EFL’s research focuses on developing financial mechanisms and using markets to aid in decarbonization, with an emphasis on extractive industries. Previously, he was an equity research analyst in the Oil & Gas sector at investment banks including Jefferies and Credit Suisse.

Please join Gordon Research Conference as they welcome Payne Institute Low Carbon Energy Technologies Program Manager Anna Littlefield, presenting Improving Geochemical Risk Assessment in CCS Projects: A Statistical Modeling Approach at the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Conference in Ventura, California from April 6-11, 2025.

The Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.

Please join the Benchmark Mineral Intelligence as they welcome Dr. Morgan Bazilian presenting Policy Outlook at the Benchmark Summit 2025 – Toronto on Monday, March 3, 2025.

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence is delighted to announce the Benchmark Summit 2025 in Toronto, Canada on Monday 3rd March.

Since 2015, the Benchmark World Tour has been the foremost global forum for financing the energy transition. Now rebranded as the Summit, this event has been timed to align with other meetings in Toronto that will ensure our audience contains leaders from across finance, policy and stakeholders from across the wider energy transition.

Tickets for this free, one-day seminar from Team Benchmark will sell out fast. 

Please join Colorado School of Mines Faculty Senate as they welcome Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Christopher Higgins presenting Chasing Forever Chemicals Forever? The Imminent Challenges of Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in the Environment on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 in Golden, CO.

Growing concerns about human exposure to perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), two members of the broad family of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), have recently led to significant public and regulatory interest. However, society’s path forward is not immediately evident for these chemicals, particularly if they are broadly defined. Even when narrowly defined, significant challenges are evident for developing PFAS treatment technologies, mainly due to both their recalcitrance and their chemical complexity. Finally, the complexity of the routes of human exposure to PFASs ensure that PFASs are likely to be a dominant environmental and public health challenge for years to come. In this overview, these challenges will be discussed in the context of characterizing PFASs in the environment, evaluating human exposures to PFASs, and developing treatment technologies. Further, the need for a broader societal conversation on PFASs will be discussed.

Christopher P. Higgins is an environmental chemist at the Colorado School of Mines. Dr. Higgins’ received his A.B. in Chemistry from Harvard University, and graduate degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. He joined Mines in 2009, attaining the title of University Distinguished Professor in 2022. He was the recipient of the 2019 Huber Prize in Civil Engineering Research awarded by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and was the lead Principal Investigator for the 2020 Environmental Restoration Project of the Year for the U.S. DoD’s Strategic Environmental Research & Development Program. His research focuses on the movement of contaminants in the environment. In particular, he studies chemical fate and transport in natural and engineered systems, with a focus on poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Dr. Higgins has authored over 175 peer-reviewed publications. His research has been supported by NSF, NIH, EPA, USDA, and the DoD.

Please join the Atlantic Council as they welcome Dr. Morgan Bazilian presenting on a hybrid seminar Geothermal: Unlocking America’s Untapped Energy Potential on Thursday, February 20, 2025.

On Thursday, February 20 at 10:00 a.m. ET, the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center will host a discussion on geothermal energy advancements and policy pathways. This event is part of a broader initiative supported by ClearPath to promote the development and deployment of enhanced geothermal systems across the United States.

Geothermal energy, a high-capacity, clean, and abundant domestic resource, can play a pivotal role in fortifying US energy security and resilience. As the administration champions energy dominance, geothermal offers an opportunity to harness oil and gas sector expertise to unlock its full potential. Its diverse applications—powering data centers, artificial intelligence infrastructure, military bases, and other high-demand sectors—position it as a cornerstone of the United States’ diversified energy future.

This event will focus on overcoming these barriers and exploring next-generation geothermal technologies to drive energy security and achieve critical economic and environmental goals.

This discussion will take place live at the Atlantic Council headquarters and will be broadcast over Zoom, YouTube, X, and Facebook. To receive the event information, please register using the form on this page.