Distributed Capacity Procurement

DCP is a model for utilities to procure and utilize DERs at scale. Through DCP, utilities plan, deploy, own, and manage customer-sited DERs based on where they can provide the most grid value. Bringing customer-sited DERs into the core of utility planning and procurement transforms these assets into a scalable new source of verifiable, firm, and dispatchable capacity and infrastructure resources. Utility ownership and management provide the operational trust, safety, cybersecurity standards, and certainty of a utility-controlled resource.…

Deploying Photovoltaic Systems in Global Open-Pit Mines for a Clean Energy Transition

Climate action requires rapid scaling of solar energy while minimizing land conflicts. Solar farms often compete with agriculture and ecosystems, but repurposing abandoned mines could offer a solution. We assess global open-pit mining sites as potential solar hubs, analysing their technical feasibility and deployment timelines under diverse future scenarios. Using a residual artificial neural network and energy demand projections, we find that these disturbed lands could host solar installations covering around 48,000 km²—ten times the global solar footprint in 2018. Their total generation potential (4,764 TWh yr⁻¹) could meet projected 2050 global electricity needs. While Mediterranean …

The Drawbacks of Liquid Hydrogen

Interest in hydrogen for energy generation and energy storage is increasing across the country, fueled in part by the past promises of federal funding and the potential to reuse existing fossil fuel infrastructure and supply frameworks. However, hydrogen—the lightest and least dense element is notoriously difficult to transport and store as a gas. While hydrogen is touted for its high energy density by weight, its energy density by volume is extremely low. To deliver the same amount of energy as natural gas, three times the volume of hydrogen gas is needed.…

Distributed Capacity Procurement: Unlocking Grid Value with Utility-Led DER Deployment

DCP is a model for utilities to procure and utilize DERs at scale. Through DCP, utilities plan, deploy, own, and manage customer-sited DERs based on where they can provide the most grid value. Bringing customer-sited DERs into the core of utility planning and procurement transforms these assets into a scalable new source of verifiable, firm, and dispatchable capacity and infrastructure resources. Utility ownership and management provide the operational trust, safety, cybersecurity standards, and certainty of a utility-controlled resource.…

The Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Advantage

The American Gas Foundation’s analysis, “Renewable Natural Gas Supply Assessment,” demonstrates that renewable natural gas (RNG) is poised to play a pivotal role in meeting energy demand, supporting jobs and economic growth and contributing to emission reductions. The study analyzed supply potential through 2050 via three scenarios based on different levels of feedstock utilization and technology deployment.

RNG resources can be produced from a diverse range of technologies and feedstocks. The study estimates RNG supply potential from biogenic resources ranging from 1,628 trillion BTU per year (tBtu/year) in a low scenario to 7,061 tBtu/year in an ambitious emissions reduction scenario …

Distributed Capacity Procurement: Unlocking Grid Value with Utility-Led DER Deployment

DCP is a model for utilities to procure and utilize DERs at scale. Through DCP, utilities plan, deploy, own, and manage customer-sited DERs based on where they can provide the most grid value. Bringing customer-sited DERs into the core of utility planning and procurement transforms these assets into a scalable new source of verifiable, firm, and dispatchable capacity and infrastructure resources. Utility ownership and management provide the operational trust, safety, cybersecurity standards, and certainty of a utility-controlled resource.…

Maharashtra’s Pathway to Become a Green Hydrogen Hub

Maharashtra’s Green Hydrogen Policy 2023 signaled a bold step toward decarbonizing its industries and building a green economy. With a target to produce 500 kilotons of green hydrogen annually by 2030, the state is aiming to become a national hub for green hydrogen development.

However, unlocking this opportunity depends on addressing systemic challenges around production cost, infrastructure, and governance. This report assesses Maharashtra’s green hydrogen production competitiveness while assessing the impact of policy incentives on reducing the gap in grey and green hydrogen price points.…

Enhancing Sustainability in Mining by Reducing Hauling Energy Consumption Through Optimization of Distance and Slope with Semi-Mobile in-Pit Crushers and Conveyors

Increasing energy efficiency in climate change mitigation has become essential due to continuous population growth and rising energy consumption. Energy-intensive industries, such as mining, have areas for improving energy consumption. Haulage systems have often been considered for optimization in mining operations. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate Semi-Mobile In-Pit Crushers and Conveyors (SMIPCC) to optimize loading and haulage systems and reduce energy consumption. For this purpose, two loading and hauling scenarios were considered: the first was based on discontinuous loading and haulage, and the second was based on semi-continuous loading and haulage using SMIPCC. First, two potential locations are assessed …

A US Framework for Assessing Risk in Critical Mineral Supply Chains

Minerals and metals are foundational to modern technology—from smartphones and solar panels to satellites and semiconductors. Critical minerals include high-volume commodities like nickel and copper, niche elements such as tungsten and indium, and rare earths vital for magnets and alloys. These materials move through complex global supply chains, shaped by private and public-sector actors responding to market forces, profit incentives, and national security concerns.

The United States increasingly relies on these materials but cannot meet all its mineral needs domestically. This dependency creates strategic vulnerabilities, especially as global supply chains are often dominated by China. China controls much of the …

Wildfire: an Updated Look at Utility Risk and Mitigation

Evidence suggests that several of the catastrophic wildfires that struck Los Angeles earlier this year may have been sparked by electric utility infrastructure. As utilities prepare for record infrastructure demand driven by electrification, data centers, and renewables, the cost of inaction in the face of rising wildfire risk is mounting. Wildfires can cause billions of dollars in damages to communities, bankrupt utilities, and ultimately drive up rates for customers.…