Evaluation of Nuclear Power Plant and Coal Power Plant Sites for New Nuclear Capacity

The System Analysis and Integration Campaign (SA&I) was tasked to perform a quick turnaround study to estimate the number of potential new sites having a capacity of 600 MWe or greater that could be situated on (1) currently operating and recently retired coal power plant (CPP) sites and (2) current nuclear power plant (NPP) sites. The analysis of the CPP sites was performed by updating the operational status of coal plants as of April 2024 and building on the data from the coal-to-nuclear (C2N) study completed in 2022 by Hansen et al. using the Oak Ridge Siting Analysis for power …

Critical Mineral Supply Chains

“Critical Mineral Supply Chains” is the second white paper of the Terranaut Minologues, a series by OurEnergyPolicy with generous underwriting from The Earthshot Foundation aimed at addressing opportunities in securing access to critical minerals for the energy transition. This paper addresses the barriers to critical mineral supply chain security and explores opportunities and strategies that can be used to support this area of international importance.…

Scaling Low-Income Solar with the Inflation Reduction Act

Tax-exempt entities can accelerate the adoption of solar photovoltaics (PV) among low-to-moderate income (LMI) communities. Leveraging the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), these organizations can take on the role of a third-party owner. This paper is intended to provide a primer on this model to interested tax-exempt entities, which might include community development financial institutions (CDFIs), green banks, electric cooperatives, 501(c)(3) organizations, and others.…

Air Quality Life Index: Nigeria Fact Sheet

Air pollution is among the top 5 threats to life expectancy in Nigeria. Fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) shortens the average Nigerian resident’s life expectancy by 2 years relative to what it would be if the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 5 µg/m³ was met. Some areas of Nigeria fare much worse than average, with air pollution shortening lives by more than 3.5 years in parts of the Cross River and Taraba states in Nigeria. …

Hydrogen for Marine Shipping

Marine shipping vessels primarily burn bunker fuels like heavy fuel oil or marine gas oil. However, in July 2023, the International Maritime Organization’s 175 member states voted unanimously to work toward net-zero marine shipping by “close to” 2050. Thus, the industry has momentum to decarbonize, but it will need policy support to ensure the costs of this transition will be borne across all parties rather than harming first movers.

This fact sheet is part of an Energy Innovation paper assessing clean hydrogen’s value for cutting climate pollution from 12 end uses.…

Air Quality Life Index: Pakistan Fact Sheet

Fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) shortens the average Pakistani resident’s life expectancy by 3.3 years, relative to what it would be if the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 5 µg/m³ was met, making it the top
health threat to the country. Some areas of Pakistan fare much worse than average, with air pollution shortening lives by more than 5 years in the country’s most polluted regions like Peshawar, Lahore, Nowshera, and Sheikhupura.…

Hydrogen for Seasonal Electric Storage

Achieving a fully clean electricity system with a high share of variable renewable energy resources will require complementary long-duration energy storage (LDES) services. In particular, the grid will need seasonal to multi-annual energy storage capacity, with the former primarily shifting wind and solar generation from high- to low-output months, and the latter primarily shifting hydro generation from wet to dry years. Electrolyzers can use excess clean energy to make hydrogen, which can then be stored at large volumes over long periods.

This fact sheet is part of an Energy Innovation paper assessing clean hydrogen’s value for cutting climate pollution from …

Air Quality Life Index: Qatar Fact Sheet

Qatar is the fourth most polluted country in the world. Fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) shortens the average Qatar resident’s life expectancy by 3.3 years, relative to what it would be if the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 5 µg/m³ was met. In the most polluted parts of the country, such as Umm Salal and Al Daayen, Qatar residents are losing more than 3.5 years off their lives as a result of exposure to high air pollution.…

Hydrogen for Industrial Process Heat

More than 90 percent of combustible fuel use in U.S. industry (i.e., excluding fuels used as feedstocks) is used to provide heat to alter materials or manufacture goods. Different industrial processes require different temperatures of heat, categorized loosely as low (below 100-200°C), medium (from 100-200°C to 500°C), and high (above 500°C). Particularly for highheat processes needed to make steel, cement, glass, and chemicals, industrial stakeholders often look to lower-carbon fuels like hydrogen to reduce their emissions. This is because hydrogen readily achieves high temperatures and—as a fuel—is a more familiar concept that might not require as many changes to equipment …

Air Quality Life Index: Bangladesh Fact Sheet

Bangladesh is the world’s most polluted country. Fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) shortens the average Bangladeshi resident’s life expectancy by 4.8 years, relative to what it would be if the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 5 µg/m³ was met. Some areas of Bangladesh fare much worse than others, such as the Gazipur and Narsingdi districts, where air pollution is shortening lives by more than 6 years. …