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Category: Supply Chain

THE MOSAIC APPROACH: a Multidimensional Strategy for Strengthening America’s Critical Minerals Supply Chain 10/18/2021

The Mosaic Approach: a Multidimensional Strategy for Strengthening America’s Critical Minerals Supply Chain

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contribute to this report by the Wilson Center on how the United States faces a troubling scenario when it comes to the supply chain for critical minerals. Rapidly increasing demand, under-developed national resources, intense international competition, and years of neglect in this issue area place the U.S. at a distinct disadvantage vis-à-vis China in securing access to the metals and Rare Earth Elements that are vital for the energy transition and for geopolitical ambitions. This paper reflects the dialogue sustained by a high-level group of stakeholders in the summer of 2021 and argues that the United States must take a number of key steps to make the critical minerals supply chain more resilient.  October 18, 2021.

Solar-powered steel mill blazes trail for green energy transition 10/11/2021

Solar-powered steel mill blazes trail for green energy transition

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian contributes to this article about how a plant threatened with closure in a Colorado town is hiring again after switching to renewables.  For its developers the project is a shining example of the energy transition.  October 11, 2021.

Industry 4.0: Additive Manufacturing 10/4/2021

Industry 4.0: Additive Manufacturing

Colorado School of Mines Professor Craig Brice, Payne Institute Director Morgan D. Bazilian, and Brooke Bowser write about how the manufacturing industry is adopting new technologies and practices in order to remain competitive in today’s growing trend of digitalization. Similar to the invention of the steam engine or the adoption of the assembly line, such changes have the potential to change our economies. Advances in additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, are essential to what some are describing as The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0.  October 4, 2021.  

REFRAMING CLIMATE JUSTICE FOR DEVELOPMENT: SIX PRINCIPLES FOR SUPPORTING INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE ENERGY TRANSITIONS IN LOW-EMITTING ENERGY-POOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES 9/28/2021

REFRAMING CLIMATE JUSTICE FOR DEVELOPMENT: SIX PRINCIPLES FOR SUPPORTING INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE ENERGY TRANSITIONS IN LOW-EMITTING ENERGY-POOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES

Payne Advisory Board Member Mimi Alemayehou, Katie Auth, Murefu Barasa, Director Morgan Bazilian, Fellow Brad Handler, Uzo Iweala, Fellow Todd Moss, Rose Mutiso, and Zainab Usman write answer the question why do we need to reframe climate justice for development?  They propose six basic principles to help development funders support inclusive and equitable energy transitions in the poorest countries.  September 28, 2021.

To lead the green energy future, solar must clean up its supply chains 9/28/2021

To lead the green energy future, solar must clean up its supply chains

Payne Institute Fellow Dustin Mulvaney and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how the solar industry must work with governments to clean up the solar supply chain.  The rapid growth of the solar energy industry has seen in recent years is expected to continue.  Solar is now one of the cheapest power sources available globally, but its long-term sustainability has been threatened by allegations of forced labour and coal use by some silicon producers that supply the solar panel industry.  September 28, 2021.

Still Not Getting Energy Prices Right: A Global and Country Update of Fossil Fuel Subsidies 9/24/2021

Still Not Getting Energy Prices Right: A Global and Country Update of Fossil Fuel Subsidies

Payne Institute Fellow Ian Parry, Simon Black, and Nate Vernon write about a comprehensive global, regional, and country-level update of: (i) efficient fossil fuel prices to reflect their full private and social costs; and (ii) subsidies implied by mispricing fuels. The methodology improves over previous IMF analyses through more sophisticated estimation of costs and impacts of reform.  September 24, 2021.

Global Change – Fifth National Climate Assessment 9/22/2021

Fifth Annual Climate Assessment

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian has been appointed as an author for the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) that will be published in 2023. The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) was established by Presidential initiative in 1989 and mandated by Congress in the Global Change Research Act (GCRA) of 1990. Its mandate is to develop and coordinate “a comprehensive and integrated United States research program which will assist the Nation and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change.” USGCRP comprises 13 federal agencies that conduct or use research on global change and its impacts on society. It functions under the direction of the Subcommittee on Global Change Research of the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on Environment. September 22, 2021.

HOW PUBLIC FUNDERS CAN HELP TAKE COAL OFFLINE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE: THREE FINANCIAL OPTIONS 9/20/2021

HOW PUBLIC FUNDERS CAN HELP TAKE COAL OFFLINE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE: THREE FINANCIAL OPTIONS

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian, Researcher Brad Handler, and Katie Auth write about how the International Energy Agency projects a need to phase out all unabated coal-fired power plants by 2040 to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century. This has significant potential implications for emerging markets. Options include three public-private mechanisms discussed, each of which requires some form of concessionary public capital or guarantee.  September 20, 2021.

The Kenyan Connection: Shedding Light on a Global Hub in the Trade of Illicit Gold and Mercury 9/13/2021

The Kenyan Connection: Shedding Light on a Global Hub in the Trade of Illicit Gold and Mercury

Payne Institute Deputy Director Greg Clough is part of the team of Colorado School of Mines researchers working on the IMPACT project that is transforming natural resource management to empower the artisanal gold mining communities in Nairobi.  IMPACT is exploring ways to disrupt the illicit gold supply chain networks.  September 13, 2021. 

Seattle rocket scientists turn attention to mining, nearing completion of zero-emission engine for huge, industrial dump truck 9/6/2021

Seattle rocket scientists turn attention to mining, nearing completion of zero-emission engine for huge, industrial dump truck

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Neal Sullivan contributes to this article about how a Seattle engineering company is building one of the world’s first zero-emission engines for a massive mining truck.  Success with this project would “make a serious dent” in mining emissions, working toward reduced toxins.  September 6, 2021.