Research Library

Lax regulation exposed electricity producers — and their customers — to failures that killed off all four of Texas’ top generating types: natural gas, wind, coal and nuclear. In this commentary experts from the Center for Energy Studies look at each technology to show what failed.

Energy fellow Michelle Michot Foss explains why hydrocarbons are critical minerals for the energy transition and decarbonization efforts.

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.

Although on the surface electric vehicles have lower safety risks than cars with internal combustion engines, the introduction of lithium ion batteries into the equation presents unresearched and unquantified hazards and consequences. This is why continued examination and incident analyses are important, writes energy fellow Rachel A. Meidl for the Baker Institute Blog.

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.

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry faces increasing pressure to do more to achieve climate change objectives. A new product—Green LNG—could help ensure that natural gas keeps its role in the energy transition, if the LNG industry can convert Green LNG into a uniform, tradable commodity, write the authors.

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

Kelly Neill, graduate fellow at the Center for Energy Studies, examines how LNG exports have increased the domestic natural gas price in the eastern part of Australia, causing domestic gas users to grumble. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/30voN4p

The oil boom in the 1970s and early 1980s and the resulting social and economic crisis left policymakers with valuable lessons that — considering today’s conversation on the role of the oil industry in Mexico — should not be overlooked.