Tokenizing EAC’s for LNG 11/11/2025

Tokenizing EAC’s for LNG

Payne Institute Energy Finance Lab Director Brad Handler on a podcast discussing systems developing to track and trade environmental attributes like methane.  Topics include the emerging demand for reliable Carbon Intensity (CI), the standards for reporting that CI, and how tokenizing environmental attributes can make them useful for commodity traders and the financial community.  November 11, 2025.

Trump administration announces stake in U.S. lithium mine 10/2/2025

Trump administration announces stake in U.S. lithium mine

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on this podcast discussing how the Department of Energy said the U.S. is taking a 5% equity ownership in Lithium Americas, a company that’s working to open up one of the world’s largest lithium mines at Thacker Pass in Nevada.  October 2, 2025.

Sustainable Development: Are We Asking the Right Questions? 9/17/2025

Sustainable Development: Are We Asking the Right Questions?

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Jim Crompton is on this podcast discussing the future of energy, the importance of asking the right questions in energy transition, and the need for common ground in discussions about sustainable development. Jim emphasizes the significance of bettering human lives, the role of water in energy, and the necessity of humility in addressing complex energy challenges. The conversation also highlights the importance of local solutions and the inclusion of indigenous voices in energy discussions.  September 17, 2025.

Carbon Markets 7/27/25

Carbon Markets

The Payne Institute Energy Finance Lab Director Brad Handler contributes to this podcast on what the cost is of going green. Actually no one really knows for sure and it depends on the scope of the transition.  July 27, 2025.

The US Military’s Critical Minerals Challenge 7/26/25

The US Military’s Critical Minerals Challenge

The Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on this podcast talking about the US government established the National Defense Stockpile in 1939 to ensure that in the event of a major conflict, there would be enough raw materials on hand to continue production of vital equipment. Since the end of the Cold War, it has steadily shrunk, now just a tiny fraction of its peak size.  July 26, 2025.

How China created a chokehold on the rare earths industry 7/18/2025

How China created a chokehold on the rare earths industry

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Rod Eggert contributes to this podcast about how China has been able to entirely cut off Europe and the U.S. from several critical rare earth metals. How did it develop such a stranglehold on an industry the U.S. once controlled?  July 18, 2025.

Department of Defense directly invests in U.S.-based rare earth mining company 7/16/2025

Department of Defense directly invests in U.S.-based rare earth mining company

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on this podcast discussing how the U.S. government is getting into the mining business. Last week the Pentagon announced a $400 million investment into MP Materials. It is a U.S.-based company that extracts and processes rare earth elements. That includes a group of 17 metals used in technology from cars to airplanes to your cell phone.  July 16, 2025.

Despite Iran conflict, oil companies are unlikely to heed the president’s call to “drill, baby, drill” 6/23/2025

Despite Iran conflict, oil companies are unlikely to heed the president’s call to “drill, baby, drill”

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian was featured on this podcast discussing how global oil prices are simply too low to make it profitable to make “drill, baby, drill” a viable choice.  Higher prices could benefit U.S. oil companies — which, despite the president’s rhetoric, have been reluctant to increase domestic oil production in recent months.  June 23, 2025.

Just Transitions in Tribal Nations 6/17/2025

Just Transitions in Tribal Nations

Payne Institute Native American Mining and Energy Sovereignty Research Associate Alex Brunson and Colorado School of Mines student Kiara Billy are on this podcast discussing how while clean energy goals are critical, environmental groups have expressed their concerns around the environmental damage that would occur as a result of an increase in mining in the U.S. In addition to the lasting environmental harm, mining activities disproportionately affect Indigenous communities. Many of the transition mineral deposits in the U.S. are located near or within culturally or environmentally important areas to Indigenous Peoples.   June 17, 2025.

We Didn’t Inherit the Earth From Our Grandparents, We Borrowed It From Our Children 6/10/2025

We Didn’t Inherit the Earth From Our Grandparents, We Borrowed It From Our Children

Payne Institute Native American Mining and Energy Sovereignty (NAMES) Initiative Director Richard Luarkie is featured on this podcast giving a different perspective to the future of energy and of ourselves.  He helps us think about the difference between stewardship and ownership, between a clean energy future and a not so clean energy past and about a future that is not a gift from our forefathers but is a loan from future generations.  June 10, 2025.

Green Steel 5/26/2025

Green Steel

Payne Institute Low Carbon Energy Technologies Program Manager Anna Littlefield contributes to this podcast on how industrial processes like the manufacture of steel, cement, fertilizers and petrochemicals, especially plastics, account for one-third of our global energy use. The world now produces annually about 4.5 billion tons of cement, 1.8 billion tons of steel, nearly 400 million tons of plastics, and 180 million tons of ammonia.  Their manufacture requires high temperatures, which is often the case, the heat comes from burning fossil fuels. What is the path to decarbonize industrial processes?  May 26, 2025.

Why are oil prices plummeting? Hint: it’s not just tariffs. 4/8/2025

Why are oil prices plummeting? Hint: it’s not just tariffs.

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian was featured on this podcast discussing how concerns mount over how exactly President Donald Trump’s tariffs will impact the cost of coffee, cell phones and cars, there’s one price that’s tanking – oil prices have just fallen to $60/barrel.  April 8, 2025.

Commodity prices drop in response to tariffs 4/4/2025

Commodity prices drop in response to tariffs

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange is featured on this podcast discussing the prices of commodities like crude oil, copper and soybeans have dropped in response to President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements, indicating pessimism about where the global economy may be headed. Even though many commodities, like oil, were exempt from tariffs, the broader economic effects of tariffs are likely to take a toll if they continue.  April 4, 2025.

Copper prices are typically a leading economic indicator. But maybe not this time. 3/21/2025

Copper prices are typically a leading economic indicator. But maybe not this time.

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange is featured on this podcast discussing how the price of copper has surged in the past few weeks to its highest level in nearly 10 months. Traders typically think of copper as a leading economic indicator; rising prices often predict economic growth ahead.  However, that may not be what is causing this surge.  March 21, 2025.

Mining politics and policy 3/17/2025

Mining politics and policy

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on this podcast discussing how from molybdenum to lithium, modern life depends on chemicals. But what the U.S. mines is rarely processed here, giving a perspective on how mining could change under the Trump administration amid rare bipartisan agreement.  March 17, 2025.

How much will the U.S. energy mix change under Trump? Maybe not much. 3/17/2025

How much will the U.S. energy mix change under Trump? Maybe not much.

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on this podcast about how with the new U.S. administration vibes have shifted dramatically when it comes to energy and the environment.  Green New Deal aspirations have given way to “Drill, baby drill!” this country is likely to continue its all-of-the-above approach to energy. We want energy from everywhere, especially with U.S. and global electricity demand on the rise.  March 17, 2025.

Why it might be hard for Trump to reverse Biden’s offshore oil ban

Why it might be hard for Trump to reverse Biden’s offshore oil ban

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on this podcast about how Joe Biden has promised to ban drilling in more than 600 million acres off the coast of the western U.S. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has promised to undo the ban, as well as much of Biden’s climate and conservation efforts.  Thing is, this one might be a little trickier to reverse, because Biden can make this declaration thanks to a 70-year-old law called the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.  January 7, 2025.

Why New Tech is Key for EPA Methane Rule Compliance 7/2/2024

Why New Tech is Key for EPA Methane Rule Compliance

Payne Institute Fellow Arvind Ravikumar is featured on this podcast discussing how the EPA’s methane rules for the oil and gas industry will depend on new technologies to monitor and verify climate impacts. For the new rules to be effective, emissions will need to be measured across vast and geographically dispersed oil and gas infrastructure. July 2, 2024.

A new report says worldwide oil demand will peak in 2029. Some oil industry observers are skeptical. 6/13/2024

A new report says worldwide oil demand will peak in 2029. Some oil industry observers are skeptical.

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on this podcast discussing recent IEA and OPEC analysis on global oil markets and trends.  A new report from the International Energy Agency indicates that global oil demand will peak before the end of the decade.  However, OPEC, by contrast, predicts the peak won’t come until 2045.  So which one’s estimate is more likely to be right?  June 13, 2024.

Is Green Growth Possible? 4/30/2024

Is Green Growth Possible? 

Environmental data scientist Hannah Ritchie is featured on the Ezra Klein Show, a New York Times podcast, discussing how climate technology is increasingly catching up to the world’s enormous need for clean energy and with a few changes, a more sustainable future.  The Payne Institute is mentioned as a key research organization looking at the amount of resources available to support a clean energy transition using solid data science.  April 29, 2024.  

How Quantum Computing Changed Our Understanding of Science 4/19/2024

How Quantum Computing Changed Our Understanding of Science

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Lincoln Carr is featured on this podcast discussing how while we await practical business advantage with quantum computing, has quantum information science already furthered our understanding of science? What’s the difference between a simulator and an emulator, and how does a physical quantum computer fit in? He explores these topics, along with everything from Tensor Networks, to thermodynamics, to complexity, with an eye to how the hardware timeline will make practical power a reality.  April 19, 2024.

The price of copper has been rising. That’s good news for the economy. 4/9/2024

The price of copper has been rising. That’s good news for the economy.

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange is featured on this podcast about the rising cost of copper. We say pretty regularly that if you want to figure out which way the global economy is headed, you should take a look at the price of copper. Because copper is used in so many things — power lines, appliances, vehicles, wind turbines, EV batteries. You get the picture. There is so much demand for the metal right now, the price of copper futures is at its highest since the middle of 2022. April 9, 2024.

Hydropower production took a hit in 2023 3/28/2024

Hydropower production took a hit in 2023

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Adrienne Marshall is on this podcast discussing how U.S. hydropower production was down 11% from the year before and dipped to a 22-year low last year, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. To make up for the hydro deficit, the U.S. bought natural gas power, which emits more carbon than hydro does, as well as some solar energy.  March 28, 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.  

LNG exports, pauses, climate impacts: Are we having the wrong debate? 2/26/2024

LNG exports, pauses, climate impacts: Are we having the wrong debate?

Payne Institute Fellow Arvind Ravikumar shares his perspective on the way we should be thinking about the future of US LNG exports.  The US Department of Energy in late January hit “pause” on its work issuing key LNG export permits. About 30 million mt/year of probable export capacity additions in the US and Mexico are at risk because of the permitting hold. February 26, 2024.

Why lithium prices have been on a roller coaster ride 2/6/2024

Why lithium prices have been on a roller coaster ride

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange is interviewed on Marketplace talking about how the prices of the metal have fallen about 80% in the past year, and two U.S. lithium companies have cut jobs and pulled back their capital spending recently. The latest is a company called Piedmont Lithium, which announced cuts Tuesday. February 6, 2024.

How Can Capturing Carbon and Monitoring Methane Play a Role in the Energy Transition? 2/2/2024

How Can Capturing Carbon and Monitoring Methane Play a Role in the Energy Transition?

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Jim Crompton, Paulina Lanz, and Justine Huang are on this podcast discussing how in 2022, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reached a high of 53 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent. To bring that down to net zero, we can either stop emitting GHGs into the atmosphere, or we can pull out CO2 that has already been emitted. Also in this episode, Will Daniels, a Payne Institute student researcher is interviewed, talking about methods for detecting methane emissions from oil and gas production and the role that data might play in reducing these emissions. February 2, 2024.

Colorado is a regional quantum hub, but what does that mean? 1/31/2024

Colorado is a regional quantum hub, but what does that mean?

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Lincoln Carr interviews with CPR News about how the U.S. government recently designated Colorado a regional tech hub for the quantum industry. That puts the state in line to receive a federal grant as part of the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to boost investment in emerging technologies. January 31, 2024.

What is the Cost of Going Green? (Part B) 1/23/24

WHAT IS THE COST OF GOING GREEN? Perspectives from Ghana (PART B)

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Jim Crompton, Paulina Lanz, and Justine Huang are on this podcast (part B) discussing what the real costs of going green are, and who is going to pay the bill?  In Part B of the episode, Jim chats with a panel of Payne Institute student researchers from Ghana at the Colorado School of Mines – Eben Manful-Sam, John Ayaburi, Rueben Anafo and Felix Ayaburi– who help us better understand the challenges of sustainable development from a sub-Saharan Africa perspective. January 23, 2024.

What is the Cost of Going Green? (Part A) 1/19/2024

What is the Cost of Going Green? (Part A)

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Jim Crompton, Sustainable Finance Lab Program Manager Brad Handler, Paulina Lanz, and Justine Huang are on this podcast discussing what are the real costs of going green, and who is going to pay the bill?  Brad Handler breaks down why we are still investing so much in fossil fuels, the investments that might be needed to support the growth of renewable energy, and how we might redirect investments towards developing countries that will play a large role in the energy transition. We also dive into why oil companies have been so profitable, whether divesting from fossil fuels is a good idea, and the role that Wall Street and the fossil fuel industry might play in the energy transition.  January 19, 2024.

Fighting Climate Change with Carbon Offsets and Fossil Fuel Retirement Credits 11/10/2023

Fighting Climate Change with Carbon Offsets and Fossil Fuel Retirement Credits

Payne Institute Sustainable Finance Lab Program Manager Brad Handler is one of two guests today on the S&P Global Energy Evolution podcast.  They are talking about carbon offset markets and oil and gas retirement credits. What function do these tools serve in the broader decarbonization push, and how exactly are we calculating them anyway? November 10, 2023.

China limits exports of graphite, a key mineral for EV batteries 10/20/2023

China limits exports of graphite, a key mineral for EV batteries

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on this podcast about how China said Friday that it would start requiring stricter permits on exports of graphite, a key mineral component of pencils, but perhaps more importantly, a key mineral component of electric vehicle batteries.  It’s the latest development in a China-U.S. trade war that’s making the transition to a green economy more expensive.  October 20, 2023.

Energy Security, Critical Minerals, and Energy Policy 10/11/2023

Energy Security, Critical Minerals, and Energy Policy

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is on this podcast discussing domestic and international energy security, critical minerals, and energy policy.  A lot of the narrative on critical minerals revolves around the supply chain demand that comes from the 17 rare earth minerals needed for computer chips, batteries, solar energy, and other needs.  October 11, 2023.  

What Does Energy Transition Mean To You? 9/18/2023

What Does Energy Transition Mean To You?

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Jim Crompton is a co-host on this podcast hosting Dr. Ershaghi, Director of the Ershaghi Center for Energy Transition (E-CET), on the history of the energy transitions; where we stand in the race to net zero; the role that governments, private sector, and individuals play in the energy transition; and the importance of combating misinformation.  Also featured, Mathew Davis, a Master’s student in petroleum engineering at USC, on how he defines energy transition and the role that petroleum engineering plays in the energy transition.  September 18, 2023.  

The Global Energy Landscape 7/5/2023

The Global Energy Landscape

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is on this podcast discussing the intersection of policy and climate technology, how to drive energy access in the global south, Dr. Bazilian’s work at the UN and World Bank, how to facilitate the energy transition in the U.S., the importance of community engagement, and many other topics.  July 5, 2023.

Why China dominates the world’s EV supply chain 6/20/2023

Why China dominates the world’s EV supply chain

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on this podcast discussing that after a rare visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing this week, a group of lawmakers are meeting with American car companies to urge them to lessen their reliance on Chinese electric vehicle parts — especially batteries.  To build its refining capacity, the U.S. will have to cite, permit and develop infrastructure, which is hard to accomplish.  June 20, 2023.

Why we must act now on critical minerals for a greener future 5/26/2023

Why we must act now on critical minerals for a greener future

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Simon Moores write about how critical minerals are vital for modern technology and the advent of electric vehicles have driven them to the top of the geopolitical agenda.  However, there is a big gap between supply and demand, as well as a disconnect between miners and users of these key raw materials.  Stakeholders must act now to enable the energy storage revolution, with decisions made now impacting the geopolitical order of the next century.  May 26, 2023.

Saudi to play significant part in mineral supply 5/24/2023

Saudi to play significant part in mineral supply

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian discussed how Saudi Arabia’s entry to the mineral supply equation is “significant.”  The intent for Saudi Arabia to be a key player in the mineral supply chain for the critical minerals space was there in Saudi Arabia, as well as the building blocks to have a downstream presence through processing industries. This was, however, not without its challenges.  May 24, 2023.

EV manufacturers look ahead amid high lithium demand 5/24/2023

EV manufacturers look ahead amid high lithium demand

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on this podcast discussing on how EV manufacturers are dealing with increased competition to secure lithium used to produce batteries (second track).  May 23, 2023.

What You Should Do Is What You Can Do 5/23/2023

What You Should Do Is What You Can Do

Payne Institute Research Associate Baba Freeman is on this podcast discussing how as the world shifts toward green technology, how can African countries with abundant rare mineral reserves navigate and benefit from this change? What role do global financial systems play in responsibly investing in these minerals? With an in-depth analysis of the implications for developing countries in Africa and across the globe.  May 23, 2023.

Critical Minerals and China, With Morgan Bazilian 4/25/2023

Critical Minerals and China, With Morgan Bazilian

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is on this podcast discussing why critical minerals have emerged as a major issue in the U.S.-China geopolitical competition.  Topics include critical minerals, foreign policy, national security, and China.  April 25, 2023.

The Global Competition for Critical Minerals with Morgan Bazilian 3/16/2023

The Global Competition for Critical Minerals with Morgan Bazilian

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on the Energy Security Cubed podcast discussing the shift to clean energy, and how America must rethink supply chains amid the growing global competition over critical minerals.  March 16, 2023.

Are we about to see a mining boom for EV minerals in the West? 1/26/2023

Are we about to see a mining boom for EV minerals in the West?

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contributes to this podcast discussing critical minerals and mining in the West. Lange directs the mineral and energy economics program at the Colorado School of Mines and is an expert in mining economics. He discusses what’s going on in the world of critical minerals—specifically those used in electric vehicle batteries.  These include cobalt, copper, lithium, and nickel and are mostly mined overseas, but we do have some of them here in the U.S. And we could see a big increase in domestic mining for them thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which included subsidies aimed at stimulating mining at home. January 26, 2023.

Financing Utility Scale RE in Developing Countries 1/25/2023

Financing Utility Scale RE in Developing Countries

Payne Institute Sustainable Finance Lab Program Manager Brad Handler on a podcast discussing how multilateral development banks (MDBs) like the World Bank are increasingly under pressure to find ways that more capital can move into emerging market renewable energy projects.  Brad walks the listeners through some recent Energy Transition Mechanisms (or ETMs) and Just Energy Transition (or JET) refinancing projects that aim to close coal plants in the developing world long before the end of their expected lifespans, and replace their generation with renewable power.   January 25, 2023.

Drought threatens hydropower produced by Colorado River 1/25/2023

Drought threatens hydropower produced by Colorado River

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Adrienne Marshall is featured on this podcast discussing how the seven U.S. states along the Colorado River — Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California — are up against yet another deadline to curb their water use amid extreme drought. They have until Tuesday to agree on massive voluntary cuts or the Bureau of Reclamation, a Department of the Interior agency, has said it will impose cuts on them.  The basin states have called the federal government’s bluff before, but whatever happens next week, millions of westerners and their livelihoods will be affected.  January 25, 2023.

New rule for electric car tax incentive delayed 12/20/2022

New rule for electric car tax incentive delayed

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian contributes to this podcast about how the Joe Biden administration wants half of all new vehicles sold by 2030 to be zero-emission. It’s pouring billions into the industry to incentivize car companies to make electric vehicles and get customers to buy them.  However, this week, the administration delayed announcing the details of a new rule requiring that a certain percentage of battery components be sourced in the U.S. or countries that have free-trade agreements with the U.S.  December 20, 2022.  

Fusion energy breakthrough could be an ‘inflection point’ for clean fuel technology 12/12/2022

Fusion Energy Breakthrough Could be an Inflection Point for Clean Fuel Technology

Payne Institute Fellow Alex Gilbert is featured on this news show about a fusion energy breakthrough that could be an inflection point for clean fuel technology.  The Department of Energy is expected to announce a major development regarding fusion energy on Tuesday December 13th, and Alex Gilbert, discusses the significance of this potential discovery.  He further explains how scientists have produced net energy gain using fusion and how nuclear fusion power could be the key to clean energy.  December 12, 2022.

By 2025, coal will no longer be the main way to generate the world’s electricity 12/8/2022

By 2025, coal will no longer be the main way to generate the world’s electricity

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contributes to this podcast on how the International Energy Agency released a report this week saying renewables would overtake coal and become the world’s biggest source of electricity generation by 2025.  The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act includes billions in subsidies and tax credits to encourage development of technologies like advanced nuclear power and hydrogen generation in the U.S.  December 8, 2022.

The Payne Institute experts are regional, national, and international leaders in applied research in natural resources, energy, and the environment. Our team is involved in a wide variety of research projects in these fields, and are committed to sharing these results with academic and professional audiences.

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.