Research Library

Electricity is the new oil when it comes to energy security, writes Mark Finley, fellow in energy and global oil. The immediacy of power outages and the ubiquity of critical elements of modern life powered by electricity mean the impact of oil supply disruptions are a walk in the park compared to our power vulnerabilities.

U.S. oil refiners have had a great run this century. But market events in 2020 signal changes to come that will challenge the industry’s global competitiveness, writes fellow in energy and global oil Mark Finley.

Scenes of insurrectionists rummaging through offices and computers in the Capitol highlight the urgent need for Congress to up its IT security game. The authors recommend steps to adopt modern IT management and cybersecurity processes that are already used throughout the federal government.

Energy fellows Mark Finley and Anna Mikulska explore why U.S. natural gas prices have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as gas prices in Europe and Asia have remained relatively low.

Energy fellow Mark Finley assesses the future of international oil companies given the tremendous pressure they've experienced since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Using a football analogy, he suggests that although business leaders are rightly focused on winning the game, they can’t ignore the condition of the playing field.

Mark Finley, fellow in energy and global oil, examines cost reduction, capital climate, productivity gains and decline rates as reasons why the U.S. shale industry may struggle to maintain its competitiveness in 2020. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/3lAyB6R

An overview of the ABA's Cannabis Law & Policy Committee, which is composed of attorneys across North America who have various mainstream practices and who seek to be stewards of historic changes in the pioneering field of marijuana law.

Saudi Arabia’s newfound willingness to take a stand against oil quota cheats has forced the rest of OPEC+ to adhere to their quotas. Will today’s discipline – driven by the biggest-ever plunge in oil demand – fade alongside the virus? Read more in the Baker Institute Blog.

A social safety net in the form of unemployment benefits, job training, etc. can help cushion the blow for workers when economic events beyond their control (like the Covid-19 pandemic) cause companies to shed workers, writes Mark Finley, fellow in energy and global oil.

As oil prices start to recover, analysts are cautiously beginning to ask whether we’ve turned a corner — but for the weeks ahead, continued inventory builds pose significant risks of renewed price declines.