Low Carbon Energy Technologies

Multidisciplinary Approach to Scientific and Engineering Research on Low Carbon Energy Technological Innovations, Coupled with Crosscutting Work on Policy, Markets, and Regulation

Multidisciplinary Approach to Scientific and Engineering Research on Low Carbon Energy Technological Innovations, Coupled with Crosscutting Work on Policy, Markets, and Regulation

Low Carbon Energy Technologies can be applied across the energy system. The Colorado School of Mines has directly relevant science and technology expertise that spans from fundamental chemistry through reactor engineering. There are on the order of 30-50 faculty actively engaged with areas related to one or more aspects of the Low Carbon Energy Technologies chain.

Most, if not all, CO2 reduction to fuels or chemicals depends on catalytic hydrogenation or dehydrogenation processes. Thus, the design, synthesis, and implementation of selective catalysts are essential aspects of CO2 utilization for the production of value-added chemicals. As a practical matter, cost-effective and timely technology development depends on closely coordinated multidisciplinary research and engineering.

Through collaboration and research Colorado School of Mines and the Payne Institute are connecting the technical expertise on campus related to Low Carbon Energy Technologies with industry, government and civil society to increase awareness of the opportunities related to CCUS. Maintaining the focus of the University as a leader at the frontiers of science and engineering, related to earth, energy and environmental stewardship.

For more information about the Low Carbon Energy Technologies Initiative at the Payne Institute for Public Policy, please contact our Deputy Director, Gregory Clough, at gclough@mines.edu.

NEWS

In Rural Illinois, Residents Protest a First-of-its-kind Agreement to Power Data Centers With Natural Gas + Carbon Capture and Sequestration 9/17/2026

In Rural Illinois, Residents Protest a First-of-its-kind Agreement to Power Data Centers With Natural Gas + Carbon Capture and Sequestration

Payne Institute Geothermal and Low Carbon Technologies Program Manager Anna Littlefield contributed to this article about how Google struck a deal with Broadwing Energy and Big Ag processor ADM. But with recent carbon leaks still fresh, locals oppose the project.  September 17, 2026.

Landman Series: Latitudes, Magnitudes, and Attitudes – Part One: Carbon, Capture, Utilization, and Storage 9/11/2026

Landman Series: Latitudes, Magnitudes, and Attitudes – Part One: Carbon, Capture, Utilization, and Storage

Payne Institute Student Researcher Sarah Severin and Payne Institute Geothermal and Low Carbon Technologies Program Manager Anna Littlefield write about how Landmen know not only the site of prospective developments but the landowners, regulations, rightsholders, and often the historical context that comes with it. Part of what has left developers exposed to that backlash is a federal safety framework that hasn’t kept pace. September 11, 2026.

What the US executive order on bulk-power systems gets right—and what’s missing

What the US executive order on bulk-power systems gets right—and what’s missing

Landon Derentz, Frank Willey, and Payne Institute Director Morgan D. Bazilian write about how the Trump administration’s Executive Order 14420 announced in August directs a sweeping review of security vulnerabilities in US electrical equipment supply chains.  They weigh in on what the order gets right and what else officials should consider to ensure the security of the US power system.  September 1, 2026.

Cleaner Gas, Smarter Design: A Practical Path to Lower-Emissions Power 9/1/2026

Cleaner Gas, Smarter Design: A Practical Path to Lower-Emissions Power

Payne Institute Energy Finance Lab Director Brad Handler and Student Researcher Matthew Safran write about how lower-emissions gas sourcing, efficient combined-cycle generation, and carbon capture-ready construction offer hyperscalers a way to meet data center power demands without compromising on emissions.  September 1, 2026.

Making Government Equity Ownership Official 8/7/2026

Making Government Equity Ownership Official

Payne Institute Energy Finance Lab Director Brad Handler and Student Researcher Matthew Safran write about how in June, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees advanced the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress’s annual defense policy bill. The legislation covers hundreds of defense programs and policies but one small provision, Section 1051, tackles a different challenge: managing the risks of an untested facet of the current administration’s more muscular industrial policy.  August 7, 2026.

Pakistan’s Solar Surge 8/3/2026

Pakistan’s Solar Surge

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Debabrata Chattopadhyay write about how Pakistan has become one of the world’s largest importers of solar panels. This is one of the most consequential energy transformations underway in any developing economy, and one that carries particular significance given the war with Iran.  August 3, 2026.

What happened to hydrogen, and what comes next? 7/16/2026

What happened to hydrogen, and what comes next?

Payne Institute Fellow Steve Griffiths writes about how the year 2021 marked what in hindsight appears to be a near-term peak of hydrogen optimism. In 2021, I led a systematic review of hydrogen for industrial decarbonization that characterized hydrogen as an interconnected sociotechnical system with transformative potential but a number of practical hurdles to overcome if it were to reach its full potential.  July 16, 2026.

AI, Defense Spending Fuel the Rush to Mine Minerals, Report Says 7/14/2026

AI, Defense Spending Fuel the Rush to Mine Minerals, Report Says

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contributes to this article about how the global mining industry says more extraction of rare earth minerals is necessary to fight climate change. But a new report says conventional industries, AI and defense are driving much of the demand.  July 14, 2026.

Bridging Energy and Decarbonization with Deb Ryan 7/10/2026

Bridging Energy and Decarbonization with Deb Ryan

The Payne Institute is a proud partner with the Mines Future Energy Scholar Mackenzie Marquis to present her interview with Deb Ryan, Swan Mountain Advisory Founder and CEO, discussing carbon markets, decarbonization, and how emissions reduction is becoming part of the future of energy careers.  July 10, 2026.

How China Turned the Strait of Hormuz Crisis into an Advantage 6/23/2026

How China Turned the Strait of Hormuz Crisis into an Advantage

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Fellow Jamie Webster write about how China spent decades building energy resilience through stockpiles, manufacturing dominance, and strategic partnerships. For China, the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz are not a shock like that facing Japan, South Korea, or India. Instead, it is a live test of a completely different model of energy security. June 23, 2026.

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