Research Library

Is the electric grid ready for the era of decarbonization? Nonresident scholar Julie A. Cohn explains why new inverter technology could prove vital for preventing outages and grid instability.

How can Texas secure an affordable, sustainable, and reliable power supply for all its citizens? This report explores key insights from research conducted at Rice University.

This report explains Europe's failure to secure long-term liquefied natural gas supplies, the likely implications, and provides ideas for better ensuring energy security moving forward.

The author examines the various factors that contributed to the 2021 Texas electricity crisis, reflects on lessons learned from the event and provides recommendations to better prepare for extreme weather events and reduce the risk of widespread, long-duration power interruptions.

Despite the many potential challenges — including difficulties conserving water, using clean energy and dealing with the López Obrador administration — Tesla will most likely move forward with the construction of a “gigafactory" in Mexico. In this issue brief, fellow David Gantz explains why the benefits outweigh the risks.

It’s been two years since Winter Storm Uri swept across Texas, and the question of whether and how to end the isolation of the state’s grid remains. Nonresident scholar Julie Cohn offers a brief history of the standalone Texas grid to explore how the lessons of the past can inform the state’s electric power future.

In 2022, the nation faced fundamental questions about how we govern our economy and society — particularly how we formulate public policy. Here, we share 10 highlights of our work that illustrate our impact from the previous year.

A number of states are moving toward accepting bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for tax payments, writes public finance fellow Joyce Beebe. She explores the challenges this may bring and why a sizable number of states are racing to be viewed as crypto-friendly.

After Winter Storm Uri left millions of Texans without power in February 2021, what steps have been taken to improve the reliability of the Texas grid? This workshop summary from the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies explores long-term market design reforms that could make a difference.