Category: Net Zero Emissions

Colorado must move quickly to keep pace on carbon capture 9/28/2022

Colorado must move quickly to keep pace on carbon capture

Payne Institute CCUS Program Manager Anna Littlefield, Sustainable Finance Lab Program Manager Brad Handler, and Director Morgan Bazilian write an opinion piece about promoting safe and secure injection of CO2 is in the public’s interest, and how Colorado is poised to be central in the effort. Amid growing interest in using carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS, as a tool in the fight against climate change, several states’ legislatures approved CCS-related rules governing commercial and liability issues during their recently ended sessions. Colorado was not among them.  September 28, 2022.  

The Latest in Nuclear Energy Innovation and Deployment, with Alex Gilbert 9/27/2022

The Latest in Nuclear Energy Innovation and Deployment, with Alex Gilbert

Payne Institute Fellow Alex Gilbert is featured on this podcast about the latest developments in nuclear energy innovation, policy, and deployment.  In the podcast, he discusses the types of nuclear technologies in the development pipeline, how they differ from older technologies, which technologies are being piloted, and how recent policies—especially the Inflation Reduction Act—are incentivizing the deployment of these technologies. September 27, 2022.

Without permits to build things, there will be no clean energy boom 9/15/2022

Without permits to build things, there will be no clean energy boom

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Communications Associate Simon Lomax write an opinion piece about how President Joe Biden’s landmark climate and clean energy bill.  American green groups have lauded the legislation, which was signed into law last month and provides $369bn in federal climate and clean energy incentives. But now comes the really hard part: turning hundreds of billions of dollars of incentives into real projects. September 15, 2022.  

Monitoring of Portovaya Gas Flares 9/12/2022

Monitoring of Portovaya Gas Flares

Payne Institute Earth Observation Group Christopher Elvidge, Mikhail Zhizhin, Communications Associate Kelly Tabor, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how using a proprietary Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Nightfire clustering algorithm, Payne Institute scientists are monitoring two flares from Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) production facilities owned by Gazprom near Portovaya, Russia.  September 12, 2022.

How Ukrainians Purchased Military Equipment 9/9/2022

How Ukrainians Purchased Military Equipment

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Kathleen Hancock is featured on this podcast about how Ukraine and the IAEA say they’ve learned of a serious development at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The challenges facing the European Union as ministers meet to discuss what to do about soaring energy prices, as Russia threats to cut off natural gas supplies to Europe.  September 9, 2022.

Closing the Energy Poverty Gap in Africa Using Landfill Gas 9/8/2022

Closing the Energy Poverty Gap in Africa Using Landfill Gas

Payne Institute ESG Research Associate Baba Freeman writes about how energy poverty is widespread in African countries and power generation capacity has continued to lag population and economic growth. The prospects for adding generation capacity are currently diminished as global financial institutions reduce lending for carbon-based energy developments in response to the adverse effects of climate change. This paper looks at the economic feasibility assessments of African landfill power generation projects from literature and develops options for policymakers to boost landfill gas power penetration on the continent.  September 8, 2022.

Shifts in the Energy Workforce 9/6/2022

Shifts in the Energy Workforce

Payne Institute Critical Minerals Research Associate Caitlin McKennie, Director Morgan Bazilian, and Sustainable Finance Lab Program Manager Brad Handler write about how the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act heralds an unprecedented era of climate investment for the U.S. Such investment brings with it the promise of new jobs across the clean energy landscape. For rural communities that have historically depended on fossil fuel development or use, however, included several in Colorado, the outlook is at least more complicated.   September 6, 2022.

Colorado School of Mines, BHP announce founding partnership for Global Energy Future Initiative 8/30/2022

Colorado School of Mines, BHP announce founding partnership for Global Energy Future Initiative

Colorado School of Mines Global Energy Future Initiative and BHP announce a founding partnership ahead of the Inaugural Global Energy Future Innovation Forum and Innov8x Challenge set for Sept. 7-8.  BHP becomes a founding partner of the initiative to drive innovative sustainable energy solutions. Through this partnership, BHP will sponsor research projects and participate in steering committees and working groups, adding industry expertise to solve complex problems. In exchange for their expertise, BHP will gain access to cutting-edge research critical to building a sustainable future for the mining industry. Through this partnership, BHP and GEFI aim to develop renewable, secure, resilient, and adaptive energy systems and infrastructure, fostering worldwide economic development while reducing environmental impacts.  August 30, 2022.

Free energy efficiency assessments now available for Colorado, Wyoming businesses 8/30/2022

Free energy efficiency assessments now available for Colorado, Wyoming businesses

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Paulo Tabares-Velasco is the assistant director of the new Rocky Mountain Industrial Assessment Center (RMIAC).  The center assists small- and medium-sized manufacturers to reduce carbon emissions, lower energy costs by offering free energy system assessments for local manufacturers, with the goal of helping them improve their facilities’ energy efficiency and reduce their carbon emissions.  August 30, 2022. 

Woburn startup wants to steer the steel industry away from coal 8/29/2022

Woburn startup wants to steer the steel industry away from coal

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow John Speer contributes to this article about how Boston Metal has developed a way to manufacture iron using sustainable electricity.  The startup, Boston Metal, wants to help the steel industry reduce its dependence on burning coal-based fuel and use electricity instead — ideally sustainably produced electricity from sources such as hydropower or solar.  August 29, 2022.