Energy Security & Resilience

Global research and analysis on energy risks ranging from climate change to resource competition to population and demand growth to governance and infrastructure investment

Nearly two billion people around the world live in areas and regions that suffer from conflict violence and instability. As we design new energy systems in the developing world, there are energy security and resilience challenges unique to each local environment. This is also true in developed nations that are now going through energy transitions and are creating infrastructure with new renewable energy options. The optimal electrification mix is sensitive to each local environment.

The Payne Institute is recognizing these sensitivities by connecting the breadth of engineering experience across the energy system at the Colorado School of Mines with the public policy world making decisions on energy infrastructure. By taking a comprehensive look at environmental, economic, political and other elements in each local environment, The Payne Institute is supporting the design and creation of secure and resilient energy systems throughout the globe.

NEWS

Five Bipartisan Actions to Protect America’s Mineral Supply Chains 11/18/2024

Five Bipartisan Actions to Protect America’s Mineral Supply Chains

Payne Institute Communications Associate Gregory Wischer and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how the U.S. Congress needs to make sure critical resources are protected. Five bipartisan actions that Congress could take are increasing mineral stockpiling, streamlining the permitting process, increasing funding for mineral projects and education, enhancing mineral supply chain transparency in government procurement, and reviving the U.S. Bureau of Mines. November 18, 2024.

What could the Trump administration’s mineral policy look like? 11/12/2024

What could the Trump administration’s mineral policy look like?

Payne Institute Communications Associate Gregory Wischer and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how the incoming administration would likely implement a mineral policy to increase US mineral production—especially extraction—while supporting American workers and companies. Specifically, this mineral policy could include imposing tariffs, streamlining permitting, and financially incentivising domestic mineral projects. November 12, 2024.

Critical minerals mining and Native American sovereignty: Comparing case studies of lithium, copper, antimony, nickel and graphite mining in the United States 10/24/2024

Critical minerals mining and Native American sovereignty: Comparing case studies of lithium, copper, antimony, nickel and graphite mining in the United States

Payne Institute Communications Associate Macdonald Amoah, Benjamin K. Sovacool, Fellow Dustin Mulvaney, Director Morgan Bazilian, NAMES Director Richard Luarkie, and Daniel Cardenas write about how owing to the historical patterns of colonialism and settlement, many of the remaining undeveloped mineral resources needed for a low-carbon energy transition are located on lands that have historic, ancestral, or cultural significance to Native American Tribes and Indigenous communities, as well as are near environmental-sensitive areas, managed by multiple agencies with goals across the spectra from natural resource development to cultural resource conservation. Through a comparative case study approach, this study analyzes mining projects seeking to develop these resources. October 24, 2024.

What does it take to decarbonize a manufactured home community? 10/18/2024

What does it take to decarbonize a manufactured home community?

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Paulo Cesar Tebares-Velasco contributes to this article about how a community-scale retrofit project in Colorado offers a path toward lowering power bills for a population that faces high levels of energy insecurity. October 18, 2024.

Moving in the wrong direction

Payne Institute’s Earth Observation Group provided the satellite data in this article about flaring emissions from global upstream oil and gas production activity increased by 7% from 2022 to 2023, according to latest Rystad Energy research. Upstream activities emit about 1 gigatonne per year of carbon dioxide (CO2) in total, with flaring contributing around 30% of those emissions in 2023 assuming 98% flaring efficiency on average. October 15, 2024.

How clean energy legislation can incentivize US mineral production 10/11/2024

How clean energy legislation can incentivize US mineral production

Payne Institute Communications Associate Gregory Wischer and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how the presidential candidates disagree on much, they seem to largely agree on the need to support domestic critical mineral projects. The next president needs to prioritize minerals and metals production in jurisdictions with high labor standards, especially the United States. Importantly, existing U.S. government programs can be modified to incentivize U.S. mineral production. October 11, 2024.

Payne Institute for Public Policy 2024 State of Critical Minerals Report highlights potential of mining tailings and steep nickel cost curve 10/10/2024

Payne Institute for Public Policy 2024 State of Critical Minerals Report highlights potential of mining tailings and steep nickel cost curve

A new critical minerals report from The Payne Institute for Public Policy at Colorado School of Mines highlights the vast potential from mining tailings, the steep cost curve for Nickel, new legislation focused on increasing the domestic mining of critical minerals and the U.S. government’s recent $4.9 billion of investments in mining and processing. October 10, 2024.

THE STATE OF CRITICAL MINERALS REPORT 2024 10/10/2024

THE STATE OF CRITICAL MINERALS REPORT 2024

The Payne Institute for Public Policy and the Colorado School of Mines has released its second annual State of Critical Minerals Report. Building on last year’s report, which provided a comprehensive overview of the supply, demand, technical and political landscape for critical minerals globally, this year’s edition targets the U.S. federal response, while also examining dynamics that will impact the mining industry’s ability to meet the needs for critical minerals that are presented by the global energy transition. Highlights include the vast potential from mining tailings, the steep cost curve for Nickel, new legislation focused on increasing the domestic mining of critical minerals and the U.S. government’s recent $4.9 billion of investments in mining and processing. October 10, 2024.

CHINA, CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES, AND NATIONAL SECURITY 10/2/2024

CHINA, CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES, AND NATIONAL SECURITY

Payne Institute Fellow Joshua Busby, Director Morgan Bazilian, and Emily Holland write about how the Biden administration announced sweeping 100 percent import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles as well as the batteries and minerals that go in them. While these minerals and refined products are sourced from various countries, China heavily dominates their processing and other stages along various supply chains. In what way is China’s domination of minerals processing, batteries, and potentially automobiles a threat to U.S. national security? October 2, 2024.

Indonesia ‘blood nickel’ risks too grave to ignore 9/21/2024

Indonesia ‘blood nickel’ risks too grave to ignore

Payne Institute Student Researcher Gabriel Collins, Director Morgan Bazilian, and Policy and Outreach Advisor Simon Lomax write about how manufacturers and investors should beware the reputational and operational risks of dealing in Indonesian nickel. Earlier this month, the US government sounded the alarm over the use of forced labor in the nickel mines of Indonesia, and the major implications for the energy transition. September 21, 2024.

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For more information about the Energy Security & Resilience Research Area at the Payne Institute for Public Policy, please contact our Deputy Director, Gregory Clough, at gclough@mines.edu.