The New Oil: How the Shift to Renewables Trades One Dependency for Another 
Politics

The New Oil: How the Shift to Renewables Trades One Dependency for Another 

Executive Summary  Switching from oil to renewable energy and electric vehicles does not get rid of resource dependency. It just changes what you depend on. Instead of relying on oil, countries end up relying on critical minerals such as lithium, rare earths, silver, polysilicon, and copper—and as China refines most of them, even minerals mined elsewhere often must go through China before they can be used.   For … Continue reading →

California’s “Radical” Climate Program: Examining Challenges to the Cap-and-Trade System 
Economy / Energy / Environment

California’s “Radical” Climate Program: Examining Challenges to the Cap-and-Trade System 

On September 19, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved a bill renewing California’s cap-and-trade program until 2045. This renewal comes despite hostility toward state-level clean energy programs from the Trump administration, notably President Trump’s executive order that specifically criticized California’s cap-and-trade program.  Continue reading →

The Social Cost of Carbon: The Politicization of a Metric 
Politics

The Social Cost of Carbon: The Politicization of a Metric 

Executive Summary  President Trump signed an executive order (EO) on his first day back in office entitled “Unleashing American Energy,” which removes Biden-era barriers to federal land leasing for energy production as a method of expanding U.S. energy production.  A significant change imposed by the order includes the Environmental Protection Agency’s mandated reassessment of a … Continue reading →

Politics

 What Are the Implications of AI for the Power and Utilities Sector? 

Executive Summary:  The energy demands of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data centers are rising rapidly, threatening the achievement of Net Zero 2030 targets, and raising concerns about the environmental impact of AI development and data storage.  Data centers will account for 9 percent of the US’s total power consumption by 2030, significantly impacting the power … Continue reading →

Improving Island Resiliency: Incorporating Microgrids as part of the RICANstruction Process.
America / Communications / Energy / Environment / Politics

Improving Island Resiliency: Incorporating Microgrids as part of the RICANstruction Process.

This might very well be the busiest year of the Atlantic hurricane season, and with two months left the Americas shudder at the thought of what next, who’s next, and when. Three major hurricanes—Harvey, Irma, and most recently Maria—all made landfall roughly one week apart, and caused widespread devastation across several U.S. cities and total … Continue reading →

Wind Energy Possibilities for the East Coast
America / Energy / U.S. Domestic Policy

Wind Energy Possibilities for the East Coast

The quest for renewable energy is a very lively aspect to politics and science debate today. This nation is fueled mainly by coal, oil, and gas—converting to sustainable energy options is a policy challenge to say the least. However, the individuals with Atlantic Wind Connection are determined to meet the sustainable energy goals of our … Continue reading →