Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian contributed to this article about how the US is hoping to take a cue from the nation of Iceland, which powers most of its electrical grid with geothermal energy, proponents say they expect a U.S. rampup as projects receive closer attention from the fossil-fuel sector, investors and the government. March 6, 2025.
Charles McConnell and Payne Institute Accelerated Methane Reduction Initiative Director Simon Lomax write about how a growing number of states, regions, and countries are demanding lower-carbon products. There are proven technologies that can reduce the carbon intensity of essential products and future-proof American industry – but perhaps none more critical to broadly deploy than carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS). March 5, 2025.
Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange is featured on this podcast about how as natural gas’ role in the U.S. electric grid grows, there’s also been an increase in natural gas deliveries to power plants through pipeline companies and their large transmission lines. Our electric grid is getting cleaner thanks to renewables, but so is natural gas. March 3, 2025.
Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian contributes to this article about how high-tech companies are looking for 24/7, carbon-free electricity to power their massive artificial intelligence data centers, and the “enhanced” geothermal systems developed by companies are increasingly seen as an essential part of the portfolio of resources that will be needed. February 25, 2025.
Ben Tourkin, Nomadic Venture Partners (NVP), writes about the role that removal of atmospheric carbon will play in a global net-zero roadmap. From high-level market dynamics to comparisons of specific technologies and investment pathways, this exploration reflects a broad yet practical approach to understanding the opportunities and hurdles in this field. February 17, 2025.
Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Amirhosein Riahi, Julie Muretta, and Richard LaDouceur write about how carbon dioxide (CO2) requires specialized capture methods for effective mitigation. Biochar has garnered significant interest as a versatile, porous solid adsorbent due to its cost-effective production, thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability, and minimal environmental impact. However, its small surface area and diffusional issues result in slow CO2 adsorption kinetics and limited capacity, hindering widespread adoption. February 14, 2025.
Payne Institute Accelerated Methane Reduction Initiative Director Simon Lomax, Payne Deputy Director Greg Clough, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how one of the first actions of the new Trump administration was ending a year-long moratorium on permitting new export terminals for U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG). The so-called “pause” on LNG approvals, imposed in the final year of the Biden administration, was hailed by anti-fossil fuel groups and condemned by U.S. energy producers. February 10, 2025.
Payne Institute Energy Finance Lab Program Director Brad Handler addressed attendees at the inaugural SPE Decarbonization Congress in Texas on the evolution of carbon markets to finance the decommissioning of primarily orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells. Attached are his slides and prepared remarks. February 7, 2025.
Payne Institute Fellow Todd Moss writes about how he was quoted in a New York Times piece that presents a pernicious strain of black-or-white thinking about climate and poverty. It’s pernicious both because it’s widespread and because it’s false: The real debate on climate and poverty is not 100% renewables now vs climate deniers. And while posing these two extremes as the only choices for global development might make good clickbait, it’s terrible for civil discussion or constructive policymaking. If we’re going to make faster progress on clean energy development, we need to call this false binary out. December 13, 2024.
Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian, Accelerated Methane Program Manager Simon Lomax, and Roger Pielke, Jr. write about how Republicans and Democrats can meet in the middle on the complex set of issues that comprise energy policy – from emissions, to affordability, to reliability, to national security and geopolitics. In fact, for almost two decades, the U.S. has been a global energy leader, even as power has shifted back and forth between the two major political parties. December 4, 2024.