Research Library

Ken Medlock explains why the price of WTI crude collapsed into previously unchartered, negative territory on April 20, 2020, and what to expect next. Read his post in the Baker Institute Blog.  This blog originally appeared in Forbes on April 21, 2020.

Experts explore how the copper acquisition dilemma could hinder green energy ambitions and constitute the driving force behind a copper supercycle.

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.

The world is demanding cleaner fuels. The U.S. is uniquely positioned to take the lead in providing them. Author Steven R. Miles explains.

As a nation, we need to immediately focus on the availability of advanced materials that can drive the performance of both legacy and alternative energy fuels and systems and ensure sustainable footprints. This brief lays out why it is vital to do so.

Through both engineered and natural carbon sinks, the U.S. is well-positioned to embark on a comprehensive national strategy aimed at decarbonization. This brief outlines a range of climate solutions and policy recommendations to address the challenges of greenhouse gas mitigation.

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.

The authors assert that the time is ripe for the United States and Europe to take the lead on shepherding a systems-level change in the recycling market, strengthened by government regulation and legislation. They examine the economic, social, and environmental impacts of mismanaged waste and argue that the Covid-19 pandemic could serve as a catalyst for action toward a global, circular economy.

On September 16, energy fellow Michelle Michot Foss provided an overview of the role of critical minerals in creating a clean economy during testimony before the U.S. House of Representative's Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change. She also discussed the challenges associated with energy transitions, including import dependency and considerations for meeting environment, social and governance (ESG) goals.

Gabriel Collins, the Baker Botts Fellow in Energy & Environmental Regulatory Affairs, analyzes the impact of China’s emerging demographic decline, debt burden and increasingly likely structural economic growth downshift on global oil and gas markets.