Category: US and Canada

Exploring policy choices for addressing forever chemicals 3/25/2024

Exploring policy choices for addressing forever chemicals

Payne Institute Communications Associate Kristin Ziv, Student Researcher Isabel Guajardo Retamales and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how on March 20, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) convened a pivotal hearing titled “Examining PFAS as Hazardous Substances.”  The session focused on the risks associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of synthetic chemicals found in various industrial and consumer products. March 25, 2024.

All Things Energy Worldwide – Update from CERA Week 3/22/2024

All Things Energy Worldwide – Update from CERA Week

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Fellow David Victor are featured on this BBC Sounds podcast discussing climate, national security, and policy from CERA Week in Houston, TX.  They highlight difficulties in policy making and the practical hurdles of executing the energy transition. Their segment starts at 37:20.  March 22, 2024.  

Detection, localization, and quantification of single-source methane emissions on oil and gas production sites using point-in-space continuous monitoring systems 3/20/2024

Detection, localization, and quantification of single-source methane emissions on oil and gas production sites using point-in-space continuous monitoring systems

Payne Institute Student Researchers William S. Daniels and Meng Jia, and Faculty Fellow Dorit M. Hammerling write about how they propose a modular framework for methane emission detection, localization, and quantification on oil and gas production sites that uses concentration and wind data from point-in-space continuous monitoring systems. The framework leverages a gradient-based spike detection algorithm to estimate emission start and end times (event detection) and pattern matches simulated and observed concentrations to estimate emission source location (localization) and rate (quantification). March 20, 2024.

Nuclear Power is Tribal Power 3/19/2024

Nuclear Power is Tribal Power

Payne Institute Native American Mining and Energy Sovereignty (NAMES) Initiative Program Manager Rick Tallman, Fellow Richard Luarkie and Director Morgan D. Bazilian write about how with the newly found bipartisan political will for American nuclear power, the U.S. is poised for a uranium mining boom once again. As the inevitable debate ensues, what is often not appreciated is the essential need to gain support from our Native American communities from the very start and through the developments.  March 19, 2024.

The path to net-zero emissions runs through industry 3/12/2024

The path to net-zero emissions runs through industry

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian, Payne Institute Fellow Steve Griffiths and Benjamin K. Sovacool write about the recent COP28 United Nations climate conference and how leaders faced a monumental task: tackling the decarbonization of the industrial sector, responsible for over 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve emission reduction targets, urgent action is needed to curb emissions from carbon-intensive industries such as steel, cement, and chemicals. March 12, 2024.

Changing the relationship between mining and Native American Tribes 3/11/2024

Changing the relationship between mining and Native American Tribes

Payne Institute Native American Mining and Energy Sovereignty (NAMES) Initiative Program Manager Rick Tallman, Director Morgan Bazilian and Daniel Cardenas write about how the Native American Tribes stand to benefit greatly from mining and processing the critical minerals needed to drive the energy transition in the United States — but only if we acknowledge the sordid history of mining on tribal lands and properly remediate legacy issues while forging a new approach that is transparent, fair and centered on Tribal sovereignty. March 11, 2024.

Mines’ Potential Gas Agency provides guidance for assessment of natural gas supply and demand 3/6/2024

Mines’ Potential Gas Agency provides guidance for assessment of natural gas supply and demand

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Stephen Sonnenberg led the most recent biennial assessment of the United States’ estimated natural gas resource base for the Potential Gas Committee.  The assessment reports the nation’s natural gas recoverable supply, which ensures we have the knowledge to make well-informed decisions about current natural gas usage and how it fits into the nation’s future energy strategy. March 6, 2024.

Navigating Energy’s New Frontiers: The IEA at 50 3/6/2024

Navigating Energy’s New Frontiers: The IEA at 50

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Fellow Thijs Van de Graaf write about the International Energy Agency (IEA) marking its 50-year anniversary. From its origins as a relatively unknown analytical body primarily focused on oil security for a select group of OECD members, it has evolved significantly. March 6, 2024.

Biden Cracks Down on Chinese Electric Vehicles 3/1/2024

Biden Cracks Down on Chinese Electric Vehicles

Morgan Bazilian, the Payne Institute Director, contributes to this article about how the Biden administration on Thursday ordered the U.S. Commerce Department to investigate the potential national security threats posed by Chinese-made “connected vehicles,” marking Washington’s latest push to de-risk ties from Beijing and tighten the screws on China’s tech industry. March 1, 2024.

VIIRS SENSORS SHOW BREADTH OF TEXAS WILDFIRES 2/29/2024

VIIRS SENSORS SHOW BREADTH OF TEXAS WILDFIRES

Payne Institute Research Associate Mikhail Zhizhin, Senior Research Associate Christopher Elvidge, Communications Associate Kristin Ziv, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how using the VIIRS Nightfire satellites, the Earth Observation Group at the Payne Institute for Public Policy has calculated the temperatures and spatial extent of active burning in the Texas Panhandle with their Nightfire algorithm applied to data collected by NOAA’s Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer Suite (VIIRS). February 29, 2024.