Columbia Global Energy Dialogue: Natural Gas Flaring Workshop Summary

The rapid expansion in tight oil production with its associated natural gas has made the United States the fourth largest source of flared gas in the world. The waste, emissions, and pollution caused by this flaring threatens not only the environment and human health but, ultimately, the license to operate for oil and natural gas companies. Responding effectively to the challenge of flaring requires technically and economically sound solutions that also enjoy political credibility and support. To be most credible, solutions for flaring need to be developed through open and transparent processes that provide for candid and constructive engagement by …

Encouraging Electrification through Energy Service Subscriptions

Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) is a private business model that enables consumers to subscribe to an energy service (such as lighting), rather than purchasing the equipment necessary to provide that service (such as light fixtures). In the past, EaaS has helped encourage the deployment of low-carbon technologies like energy efficient equipment by eliminating high upfront costs for consumers. In this paper, we assess how the EaaS model can be used to help overcome barriers for electrification of energy end-uses like vehicles and water heaters, which is critical for reducing carbon emissions from transportation and buildings. We explore the potential of two basic …

Climate Science in the Courts

Climate change has been the subject of considerable political controversy in the United States, and climate skepticism—or doubts about the basics of climate science—have not been uncommon in the public debate. At the same time, U.S. courts in several recent high-profile cases, including Juliana v. United States and City of Oakland v. BP p.l.c., have expressly accepted as authoritative the science behind climate change, including its conclusions that the climate is warming, that human activity is driving the observed and anticipated changes, and that those changes will have a variety of adverse impacts in the United States and globally.…

Capturing Investment: Policy Design to Finance CCUS Projects in the U.S. Power Sector

Carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS) is a key pathway to rapidly and profoundly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from large point sources such as power plants in a cost-effective way. While other kinds of low-carbon power receive widespread policy support aligned with today’s capital markets, CCUS projects lack sufficient policy support to obtain conventional financing. This suggests additional policies are needed to bring CCUS forward in commercial power market deployment.

The authors undertook an analysis to help predict which policy configurations would incentivize widespread deployment of CCUS in the US electric generation industry. We examined a set of options and …

Achieving a Net Zero Carbon Future

As one of the largest electric and gas utilities in the U.S., Duke Energy embraces its responsibility not only to power the communities where our customers live and work, but also to address risks from climate change. Addressing the challenges climate change presents is a mission on which we all agree. We must double down on the hard work that will inform the technology, pace and cost of the transition, while always keeping affordability and reliability for our customers as our guiding beacons. Duke Energy will continue to help lead the effort to develop solutions to this complex challenge.…

Global Renewables Outlook: Energy Transformation 2050

The Global Renewables Outlook shows the path to create a sustainable future energy system. This flagship report highlights climate-safe investment options until 2050, the policy framework needed for the transition and the challenges faced by different regions.

This comprehensive analysis from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) outlines the investments and technologies needed to decarbonise the energy system in line with the Paris Agreement. It also explores deeper decarbonisation options for the hardest sectors, aiming to eventually cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to zero.

Raising regional and country-level ambitions will be crucial to meet interlinked energy and climate objectives. The …

Restoring America’s Competitive Nuclear Energy Advantage

America is losing its competitive global position as the world leader in nuclear energy and technology to state-owned enterprises, including Russia and China, and other competitor nations also aggressively moving to surpass the United States.

America is on the brink of losing its ability to produce domestic uranium for the fabrication of nuclear fuel, threatening our national interest and national security.

The Strategy to Restore American Nuclear Energy Leadership is a direct outcome from the efforts of the United States Nuclear Fuel Working Group established by the President in his July 12, 2019 Memorandum on the Effect of Uranium Imports …

Differentiation of Natural Gas Markets by Climate Performance

Any commodity can be described by its unique set of attributes. These attributes can include intrinsic characteristics, such as what the commodity is (e.g., natural gas), and where, how, and by whom it was produced. These attributes can quantify the externalities associated with production, processing, transport, and consumption. For instance, in the case of coffee, the price partially reflects how, where, and by whom it is grown and processed, as well as how much, and can also reflect a variety of external benefits. For example, “rainforest alliance” coffee signals protection against deforestation, “shade-grown” coffee signals lower biodiversity loss, and “fair …

Expert Dialogue: A Price on Carbon

OurEnergyPolicy (OEP) hosted two discussions on carbon pricing—an online discussion “Time for a Price on Carbon” led by Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL-22) on his Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763)—and a live panel discussion “Accounting for the Cost of Carbon” (part of OEP’s New York Energy Leaders Luncheon Series) with three experts giving remarks on the policy, economic, and business challenges of carbon pricing.

This summary features excerpts of comments and remarks from both discussions.…

Advancing Electric System Resilience with Distributed Energy Resources: Key Questions and Resources

Advancing Electric System Resilience with Distributed Energy Resources: Key Questions and Resources, provides a foundation for state public utility commissions to frame how they review proposed utility investments that could offer resilience benefits and includes a list of relevant resources to  improve regulators’ ability to oversee resilience investments and obtain better outcomes for customers.…