Energy Policy Commons^™

Mind The Hazard: Modeling And Interpreting Comfort With Personalized Sensing, Yufei Zhang, Matteo Favero, Patrick Chwalek, Sailin Zhong, Denis Lalanne, A. Joseph Paradiso, Clayton Miller, Andrew Sonta

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Recent advances in personalized sensing and comfort feedback have spurred the development of data-driven comfort models tailored to individual needs. However, because current models treat sequential comfort feedback independently, they are subject to unstable predictions and limited interpretability, hindering their deployment in building management. This study introduces a dynamic modeling framework that utilizes a Neural Ordinary Differential Equations-based Continuous-time Markov Chain to model the transitions in comfort states over time. Our modeling approach, developed through a field study utilizing smart glasses and mobile app feedback, tracks occupants' comfort transitions across daily activities and contexts. The results demonstrate that this model …

How Incentive Design Affects The Benefit-Cost Ratio Of Clean Energy Projects, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Sources Of Energy Production In Mountain West States, 2026, Kahlen Coss, Yash Kalla, Kian Parikh, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet presents data on electricity generation and energy sources in March 2026 for five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Each state's share of total U.S. electricity production and its generation by source (coal, hydroelectricity, natural gas, nuclear, solar, and wind) are included. The Choose Energy report, "Electricity Generation by State," includes data on all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Policy Reflections On Promoting Strategic Oriented Basic Research In China: Insights From The U. S. Department Of Energy’S Basic Research Funding System, You Yu, Yun Liu, Wenneng Zhou

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Strategy-oriented basic research is a key pathway to driving major original breakthroughs at the frontiers of science, serving national strategic needs, and securing a leading position in global science and technology. It is also a vital pillar for achieving high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology and enhancing the capacity for original innovation. Faced with the urgent need to build a science and technology powerhouse and achieve breakthroughs in key core technologies, China has gradually improved its organizational framework for advancing strategy-oriented basic research and has established a solid foundation for policy support and resource allocation. Nevertheless, when measured …

Scheduled Coal Plant Retirements In The Mountain West, 2022-2031, Kerima Awol, Sophia Booth, Ty Tan, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet presents data on publicly announced coal-fired power plant retirements in five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, between 2022 and 2031. The Visual Capitalist’s 2021 report, “Road to Decarbonization: U.S. Coal Plant Closures,” includes information on the location, retirement year, and electricity generation capacity of coal-fired power plants scheduled for retirement across the United States.

Online Planning Of Power Flows For Power Systems Against Bushfires Using Spatial Context, Jianyu Xu, Qiuzhuang Sun, Yang Yang, Huadong Mo, Daoyi Dong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

A power station or transmission line can be affected due to bushfires, increasing operation costs. We study a fundamental but challenging problem of planning the optimal power flow (OPF) for power systems under bushfires. We develop a model to capture the stochastic nature of bushfire spread based on Moore’s neighborhood model and propose an online optimization modeling framework to sequentially plan power flows in the electricity network. Our framework assumes that bushfire spread is non-stationary over time and that the spread and containment probabilities are unknown. To address these challenges, we develop a contextual online learning algorithm that treats the …

How Shale Boom-Era Municipal Debt Could Undermine Community Resilience During The Energy Transition, Brandon Charles

Center for Policy Research

Local governments in oil and gas-producing regions took on significant municipal debt during the U.S. shale boom to build schools, water systems, and other infrastructure to accommodate rapid population growth. This brief uses Mergent municipal bond issuance data and interviews with local government officials to describe debt accumulation in shale boom communities (N=2,519 counties; 2004–2015) and its implications for the energy transition. The author finds that shale boom communities accumulated approximately $782 more in municipal debt per capita than comparable communities, a 26% increase totaling $1.9 billion across 58 shale boom counties. If production declines and newer residents leave, the …

Policy Solutions In The Ev Battery Supply Chain Addressing Unethical Social And Environmental Practices, Mateo Mazariego-Halpern

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

California should adopt a phased supply chain accountability framework for electric vehicles sold in the state, combining the immediate implementation of a voluntary Fair Trade Decal program with the mandatory adoption of COFFEE (Corporate Operations Free From Environmental Evil) Standards based on CAFÉ standards, by 2035. This thesis identifies a critical gap in U.S. EV policy: current federal legislation regulates where batteries are sourced but not how cleanly or ethically they are produced. The consequences of this regulatory gap are severe, with emissions simply shifting further down the supply chain rather than being eliminated, child labor and indigenous displacement going …

Shaping Egypt’S Transition To Sustainable Electric Transport: Current Policies And Future Directions, Noha A. Ragab

Theses and Dissertations

Egypt has enacted policies to promote the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in order to reduce their overall carbon footprint. However, the pace of transition remains limited, so the research aims to answer the following question: “How do current policies shape Egypt’s transition towards sustainable electric transport, and what additional measures can support this transition?" The study employs a qualitative analysis methodology, based on diffusion of innovation theory and conceptual framework, to analyze current policies in Egypt and identify challenges and gaps in their implementation. It also analyzes responses from 23 interviews with experts in the field, manufacturers, dealers, EV …

Of Climate Justice And Magical Realism, Sonya Ziaja

Michigan Law Review

A review of Climate Justice: What Rich Nations Owe the World—and the Future. By Cass R. Sunstein.

Mandates, Markets, And Megawatts: An Empirical Analysis Of The Causal Effects Of State-Level Energy Storage Mandates On Utility-Scale Battery Storage Deployment In The United States, Bill Zheng

Quantitative Social Science Undergraduate Senior Theses

Utility-scale battery storage is accelerating at an unprecedented pace as the world increasingly relies on renewable energies to power grids. Demand for data centers has produced record-high electricity demand, and utility-scale batteries are becoming crucial in supporting the grid and the variability of renewables. As a result, analysis on the efficacy of policy drivers of battery storage will provide the field with a roadmap for the most impactful policy solutions to spur battery storage deployment. This paper estimates the effect of state battery storage mandates on cumulative installed battery capacity using a staggered difference-in-differences (DiD) design following Callaway and Sant’Anna …

Developing An Effective And Sustainable Institutional Model For Water Resource Management In ‘Nusantara’ (The New Capital City Of Indonesia), Witra Apdhi Yohanitas, Arif Ramadhan, Tania Andari, Nicco Plamonia, Muhammad Akbar Pribadi, Riardi Pratista Dewa, Hery Wibowo, M. Hasnan Atlandi

BISNIS & BIROKRASI: Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi dan Organisasi

The development of 'Nusantara', the new capital city of Indonesia (IKN), is a strategic effort by the government of Indonesia to advance infrastructure development and management. However, ensuring effective and sustainable water resource management remains a major challenge, particularly amid climate change, population growth, and increasing industrial demand. This study aims to develop a sustainable water resource management model to support IKN effectively. It applies a qualitative descriptive and comparative approach through interviews and policy analysis to identify the needs and challenges in water resource management, while also assessing the potential and risks of the proposed model. The findings indicate …

Characteristics And Implementation Paths Of Goal For Building Energy Powerhouse, Liye Xiao, Jiaofeng Pan, Xiaojiong Wang, Deqiang Sun, Mingliang Qi, Jianlei Mo, Huimin Li, Ting Wang, Jie Yang, Jie Lin, Yuchao Wang, Haiting Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China is a major energy-consuming country, and ensuring effective energy supply is one of the core tasks for promoting national development and national rejuvenation. To guarantee national energy supply and energy security, and to vigorously develop and utilize clean and low-carbon energy, the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China clearly states: “We will thoroughly implement the new energy security strategy, accelerate the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new energy system, and build a strong energy nation. We will promote the safe, reliable, and orderly replacement …

Monitored Natural Attenuation Evaluation And Additional Characterization Of A Ccr Unit Lithium Groundwater Plume, Matt Barickman, Adam Piestrzeniewicz Pg

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) refers to the reliance on natural attenuation processes (within the context of a carefully controlled and monitored site cleanup approach) to meet groundwater protection standards (GPS) for a CCR unit within a reasonable time frame (USEPA, 1999). MNA is being evaluated as an adaptive management strategy for a CCR unit groundwater plume with statistically significant lithium concentrations above GPS, though with little risk of offsite migration. A previous MNA evaluation was performed for the lithium plume following the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) “tiered lines of evidence approach” (USEPA, 2015), which determined that there were …

The Cobalt Curse: Cobalt’S Role And Risks, Marley Jackowitz

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper examines the hidden environmental, geopolitical, economic, and social costs of the cobalt supply chain. Fueled by the demand for battery technology and electric vehicles, cobalt has become an essential element to the green energy transition. With the largest share of global cobalt deposits, the Democratic Republic of the Congo bears a disproportionate share of the industry’s harms. Cobalt mining in the DRC is marked by environmentally degrading practices and inhumane working conditions, compromising Congolese health, safety, and well-being. Chapter 1 discusses the environmental impacts of DRC cobalt mining and its adverse effects on public health. Environmentally degrading mining …

China-Canada Resource Diplomacy: New Era Of Land Grabbing, Valdrin Dragusha

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This paper examines the evolving economic relationship between China and Canada, particularly in the context of China's transition from a strictly social economy to an authoritarian socialist market economy. It highlights the implications of China's Going Out Policy initiated in 2000, aimed at securing vital natural resources amidst growing domestic demands driven by rapid economic expansion. The paper analyzes China's significant demand for resources, its sustainable development policies, and the changing dynamics of land acquisitions, particularly in relation to Canada, which is perceived as a strategic investment destination due to its abundant natural resources and technological advancements in clean energy. …

The Energy And Environmental Footprint Of Ai, Michael P. Vandenbergh, Ethan I. Thorpe, Jonathan M. Gilligan

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to create major economic and social benefits, but also to rapidly escalate electricity demand and its associated environmental impacts. Information availability has been a cornerstone of environmental law for half a century, and this Article argues that providing information to individual, corporate, and other users about the electricity demand and environmental impacts of AI can reduce those impacts without delaying development of the technology. Little is known about how different large language models (LLMs) compare on these metrics, though. To address whether users have access to the information necessary to address this shortcoming, the …

A National Security Strategy For The Middle East, Vanessa Rice, Rudy Torres, Addy Horgan, Joy Omosa, Mark Westfall

School of Public Policy Capstones

This National Security Strategy addresses the persistent national security challenges the United States faces in the Middle East, a region vital for global energy supply, economic connectivity, and a source of anti-American extremism. Recognizing the failures of past "haphazard experimentation," the strategy proposes a thoughtful, pragmatic plan prioritizing five distinct and congruent interest areas: Maintaining Regional Access, Supporting Regional Stability, Ensuring Energy Security, Defending American Citizens and Personnel, and Preserving and Protecting Western Ideals. The strategy outlines actions such as: countering Chinese and Russian influence through intelligence sharing and defense incentives; containing Iran via a new, permanent nuclear deal and …

Availability Model To Evaluate Ai Data Centers’ Role In Grid Stability, Troy Mcsimov, Trevor S. Kunz, Jeffrey Billo

SMU Data Science Review

The United States has made it clear; it is imperative that the US wins the global AI race. This paper focuses on one of the most challenging puzzle pieces surfaced at the POWER Data Center conference (San Antonio, Sept. 30.); for Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) the limiting factor is not generation alone but the need to balance generation and load to preserve grid reliability.

The regulatory landscape fundamentally changed with the passage of Texas Senate Bill 6 in June 2025, which mandates new large loads must "contribute to the recovery of the interconnecting electric utility’s costs" (Texas Legislature, …

Advancing Climate Transition Through Fiscal Tools: The Role Of Carbon Taxation And Fuel Subsidy Reform, Farah Amgad Zayed

Theses and Dissertations

This study highlights how fiscal policy tools can accelerate Egypt's climate transition, with emphasis on carbon taxes and fossil fuel subsidies reforms. It investigates how fiscal tools can reduce carbon emissions and promote economic development by primarily relying on qualitative interviews with policymakers, consultants, representatives of the private sector, and civil society actors, paralleled with some descriptive and comparative analysis. The results show that even though Egypt has made significant strides in advancing green transition, including updating the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), introducing the first African Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), as well as phasing out fossil fuel subsidies gradually, institutional …

Research On Energy Security Governance And Preventive Measures In China Under Century Long Changes, Qiang Ji, Ying Fan, Yu Song

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Against the backdrop of unprecedented changes in a century, multidimensional internal and external risks are intertwined and stacked, and energy security is constantly developing towards diversification, integration, and globalization. Balancing energy security and climate governance under the “dual carbon” goal is bound to encounter many major challenges, and climate issues have become an important part of the energy security concept that cannot be ignored. This study comprehensively analyzes the internal and external multidimensional risks faced by China’s energy security, and elaborates on the new energy security governance system of “one body, two wings, three ends, and four characteristics” from the …

Systemic Risks Analysis In International Crude Oil Market: Evidence And Countermeasures, Han Zhang, Yuejun Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Crude oil, often referred to as the “lifeblood” of the modern economy, plays a pivotal role in global economic stability and energy security. However, with the recurrence of crises in recent years, such as the the Russia-Ukraine conflict, escalating tensions in the Middle East, and intensifying trade frictions, the international crude oil market has been facing complex systemic risks, which are accelerated by persistent geopolitical conflicts, fragile supply-demand structures, and the intertwining of macroeconomic and financial uncertainties and so on. For China, with crude oil import dependence remaining above 70% for a prolonged period, economic and social development faces the …

Strategies For Enhancing China’S Energy Resilience: Trade-Offs Between Diversification And Localization, Zhongwei Song, Yu Zhao, Xiang Gao, Jiaofeng Pan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In recent years, intensified geopolitical conflicts worldwide have increasingly exposed the vulnerabilities of traditional energy security frameworks, necessitating a shift in perspective from “ensuring stable supply” to “building systemic resilience”. This study explores pathways to enhance China’s energy resilience, analyzes how diversification and localization strategies can strengthen national energy security, and reviews related policy practices. Building on this analysis and considering China’s current energy landscape, the study proposes that in the short term, emphasis should be placed on diversifying import sources and routes while strengthening domestic supply assurance. In the medium to long term, it is essential to accelerate the …

Technology Competition Risk Situation And Response Strategies In China’S Energy Sector Under Great Power Competition, Yong Shi, Shanghua Li, Fei Wu, Kun Guo

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

With the advancement of the global energy transition and the intensification of global geopolitical uncertainties, technological competition in the energy sector has become a key area in the great power competition. This study constructs a logical framework for energy technology competition and reveals the new trends in current technological competition in the energy sector. On this basis, this study systematically analyzes the three main types of risks that China faces in energy technology competition and further proposes corresponding countermeasures. China must continuously enhance the core competitiveness and institutional voice over energy technology to achieve the strategic goals of energy security …

Internal Logic And Reform Suggestions Of Fiscal And Taxation Policies Supporting Construction Of New Energy System, Junming Zhu, Bofeng Li, Jiali Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Building a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient new energy system is a core strategy for China to achieve its “dual carbon” goals and promote high-quality development. This endeavor involves not only technological innovation in energy production and consumption but also requires guidance and support from the national governance system. As a key instrument of modern national governance, the fiscal and taxation policies serve as a crucial way to guide energy production and consumption, promote technological innovation, and adjust the distribution of interests. In light of the current multidimensional goals of energy transition—particularly the inherent tension between “clean and low-carbon” and …

Market-Oriented Reform In China’S Oil And Gas Industry: Current Dynamics And Strategic Pathways, Min Shi, Yuan Xue, Xunpeng Shi, Dayong Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China’s oil and gas market-oriented reform, developed through decades of exploration, has established a structure featuring multi-entity exploration in the upstream, independent operation of the national pipeline network in the midstream, and diversified competition in the downstream. Nevertheless, systemic challenges persist. A highly concentrated supply structure poses risks to energy security, while inadequate competition and limited market openness constrain operational efficiency. The green transition is hampered by insufficient policy coordination and economic viability barriers, and R&D transformation bottlenecks impede technological innovation. Furthermore, regional disparities in public service provision undermine social equity. Resolving these contradictions necessitates a systematic approach to reconfigure …

Localized Air Pollution Impacts From Data Centers In Northern Virginia, Damian Pitt, Ivan Suen, Ellie Plisko

Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment Publications and Presentations

This report examins the extent of air pollution emissions resulting from the use of backup generators at data centers in Northern Virginia, including both actual current emissions and potential future emissions, and how those emissions totals compare to other sources of air pollution in the Northern Virginia region. It also examines how exposure to data center emissions correlates with demographic characteristics such as race, income, and education.

We while the air pollution emissions from individual data centers is minor, the collective impact from the 100+ such facilities in the Northern Virginia region is significant. Notably, the cumulative emissions exposure in …

Beyond The Meter: Frameworks For Evaluating The Broad Spectrum Of Microgrid Benefits, Elias Henderson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Community-scale microgrids can create a range of social benefits. These include resilient electricity, cleaner air, decarbonization, and economic development, alongside more qualitative values like energy sovereignty and community self-determination. Many such benefits, however, are illegible to California’s market and regulatory frameworks. This thesis traces this disconnect, with particular attention to grid-edge communities in Northern California.

Microgrid benefits are classified as monetized, modeled, or incommensurable according to their inclusion/exclusion in existing regulatory and revenue mechanisms. To explore each category, a mixed-methods analytic approach is employed, pairing Tribal and stakeholder interviews with the development of a microgrid valuation calculator. This tool is …

Cybersecurity Center For Offshore Wind Energy (Final Project Round), Sachin Shetty

Center for Secure and Intelligent Critical Systems (CSICS) Publications

This project establishes a Cybersecurity Center for Offshore Wind Energy with the objective of designing and operating a cyber-physical testbed for wind energy farms (WEFs) that enables comprehensive cybersecurity research. The testbed incorporates a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system connected to turbine models via industrial-grade programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and remote terminal units (RTUs). It supports side-channel data acquisition, implementation and analysis of various cyberattack scenarios, and development of attack detection, mitigation, and best-practice guidance tailored to wind energy systems. During the project, the team expanded the number and fidelity of mathematical turbine models (MTMs), integrated these models …

Impacts Of Offshore Wind Energy Development On The Commercial Sea Scallop Fishery, Sarah Borsetti, Daphne M. Munroe, John M. Klinck, Andrew M. Scheld, Eileen E. Hofmann, Eric N. Powell, David B. Rudders

CCPO Publications

The Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) fishery on the Northeast U.S. continental shelf generates approximately USD 500 million ex-vessel revenues annually, making it one of the most valuable single species fisheries in the United States. Wind energy development is planned for key areas on the U.S. Mid-Atlantic shelf where the Atlantic sea scallop fishery operates, creating novel challenges in managing trade-offs between traditional users like fisheries and new users like offshore wind energy. An agent-based modeling framework that integrates spatial dynamics in Atlantic sea scallop stock biology, fishing fleet behavior, and federal management decisions, was implemented to investigate …