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From Black Gold to Green Growth: Kurdistan’s Energy Opportunity at a Crossroads

From Black Gold to Green Growth: Kurdistan’s Energy Opportunity at a Crossroads

Payne Institute Non Resident Fellow Peri-Khan Aqrawi-Whitcomb writes about the Kurdistan Region’s recent multibillion-dollar oil and gas deals with U.S. companies, framing them as a pivotal moment of economic and geopolitical significance. While these agreements open the door to long-term prosperity, their success depends not only on the Kurdistan Regional Government but also on its international partners. May 26, 2025.

Europe’s Bet on Saving Industry 5/22/25

Europe’s bet on saving industry

Payne Institutes non-Faculty Fellow, Noé van Hulst, writes about a blog he published a year ago,  “Anatomy of a Fall: Europe’s deindustrialisation”. Since then so much has happened that I feel the urge to come back to this topic. The bad news is that despite passionate speeches and statements from policy makers about the key importance of the manufacturing industry for the economic and security future of Europe, the bleeding hasn’t stopped. May 22, 2025

Advancing CO2 separation and capture in post-combustion scenarios using resonant vibration techniques 5/15/2025

Advancing CO2 separation and capture in post-combustion scenarios using resonant vibration techniques

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Amirhosein Riahi, Julie Muretta, and Richard LaDouceur write about how carbon dioxide (CO2) requires specialized capture methods for effective mitigation. Biochar has garnered significant interest as a versatile, porous solid adsorbent due to its cost-effective production, thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability, and minimal environmental impact. However, its small surface area and diffusional issues result in slow CO2 adsorption kinetics and limited capacity, hindering widespread adoption.  May 14, 2025. 

Native American Mining and Energy Sovereignty Initiative receives support from Alfred P. Sloan Foundation 5/15/2025

Native American Mining and Energy Sovereignty Initiative receives support from Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

The Payne Institute for Public Policy at Colorado School of Mines has received support from the Sloan Foundation for our Native American Mining and Energy Sovereignty (NAMES) Inititative.  The Payne Institute will be hosting our second annual NAMES Symposium this month in Ignacio, Colorado.  May 15, 2025. 

Carving a path to the energy future with the Payne Institute for Public Policy 5/6/2025

Carving a path to the energy future with the Payne Institute for Public Policy

Payne Institute Senior Advisor and Mines Alum Rick Tallman ’85, MS ’92, is featured in this article about his work as a key strategist for the Payne Institute’s Native American Mining and Energy Sovereignty Initiative (NAMES) and as a member of the Mines Foundation Board of Governors.  Tallman said he began working with the Payne Institute because their substantive work is influencing how Mines—and Mines students—can change the world.  May 6, 2025.

Pentagon’s AI metals program goes private in bid to boost Western supply deals 5/2/2025

Pentagon’s AI metals program goes private in bid to boost Western supply deals

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contributed to this article about how a U.S. government-created artificial intelligence program that aims to predict the supply and price of critical minerals has been transferred to the control of a non-profit organization that is helping miners and manufacturers strike supply deals.  May 2, 2025.

Tracking a Chemical Explosion in Iran 4/28/2025

TRACKING A CHEMICAL EXPLOSION IN IRAN

Payne Institute Earth Observation Group Mikhail Zhizhin, Christopher Elvidge, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how A massive explosion occurred on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Shahid Rajaee port, located near the southern city of Bandar Abbas, Iran. This port is Iran’s largest commercial harbor and a crucial trade hub on the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is well known as a key transit for global oil trade. April 28, 2025. 

Powering Up: Electrical Engineering Department at Colorado School of Mines grows as demand for jobs goes up 4/28/2025

Powering Up: Electrical Engineering Department at Colorado School of Mines grows as demand for jobs goes up

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Peter Aaen contributes to this article about how the Mines Electrical Engineering Department has a new online master’s degree, increased enrollment, and innovative research, all contributing to the positive future for the field.  April 28, 2025.

Trump’s Brazen Push to Mine the Ocean Floor 4/28/2025

Trump’s Brazen Push to Mine the Ocean Floor

Payne Institute Fellow Alex Gilbert contributed to this article about how the U.S. leader could pave the way for a gold rush in international waters.  U.S. President Donald Trump has officially jump-started U.S. efforts to mine the seafloor, pitching the United States into the center of a contentious debate that has sparked fears of a race to the bottom in the world’s last untouched frontier.   April 28, 2025.

Can China hold the world to ransom over rare earths? 4/26/2025

Can China hold the world to ransom over rare earths?

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contributed to this article about how China reportedly instructed South Korean companies to stop exporting defense-related products to the United States if they contained rare earth products from China.  April 26, 2025.

Carbon capture technology is ready. Permitting needs to catch up. 4/24/2025

Carbon capture technology is ready. Permitting needs to catch up.

Payne Institute Low Carbon Energy Technologies Program Manager Anna Littlefield writes about how ending the carbon dioxide injection well permit application backlog would unleash investment in America, creating tens of thousands of new jobs and strengthening America’s global competitiveness.  April 24, 2025.

Satellite Data Shows Massive Fire Following Russian Arsenal Explosion 4/23/2025

Satellite Data Shows Massive Fire Following Russian Arsenal Explosion

Payne Institute Earth Observation Group Mikhail Zhizhin, Christopher Elvidge, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how April 22, 2025, a significant explosion followed by a large fire appears to have occurred at the 51st Arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate near Kirzhach, in Russia’s Vladimir Oblast, northeast of Moscow.  April 23, 2025.  

Astronaut nuclear safety: A concept for managing crew risks when using space nuclear power systems 4/23/2025

Astronaut nuclear safety: A concept for managing crew risks when using space nuclear power systems

Payne Institute Fellow Alexander Q. Gilbert writes about how space nuclear power systems can provide transformational, enabling capabilities for human space exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.  However, widespread use of space nuclear power systems in direct support of astronaut operations calls for a concerted and holistic focus on the impacts on crew safety.   April 23, 2025.

Bad News for China: Rare Earth Elements Aren’t That Rare 4/23/2025

Bad News for China: Rare Earth Elements Aren’t That Rare

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contributes to this article about how China is limiting US access to critical minerals in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, but the move isn’t as devastating as Beijing wants it to be. April 23, 2025.

The Future of US Methane Emission Mitigation 4/22/2025

The Future of US Methane Emission Mitigation

Payne Institute Accelerated Methane Reduction Program Director Simon Lomax, Director Morgan Bazilian, and Deputy Director Greg Clough explore why major players in the U.S. energy sector are continuing their efforts to monitor, measure and reduce fugitive methane emissions, even as federal methane regulations are being rolled back.  April 22, 2025.  

The Smart Bet: Natural Gas for AI 4/16/2025

The Smart Bet: Natural Gas for AI

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian writes about how natural gas for AI is emerging as the most practical near-term solution to meet soaring energy demands from data centers.  There is no doubt that the AI revolution is a big part of that paradigm change and excitement, but not all energy sources are equally suited to the task and timelines.   April 16, 2025.

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DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, viewpoints, or official policies of the Payne Institute or Colorado School of Mines.