Research Library

On August 31, 2021, Energy Dialogues and the Center for Energy Studies hosted the Houston Energy Dialogues for the fifth consecutive year. Co-sponsors of this event were Sempra LNG, Schlumberger and Validere. As in previous years, the dialogues provided a platform for in-depth conversations about the energy industry involving representatives from government, industry, academia, environmental groups and regulatory bodies. Resiliency was a central theme. This report summarizes the day's discussions.

This paper maps out the network of alliances and subgroups within the two most powerful cartels in Mexico — the Sinaloa Cartel and the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación — and reveals key structural differences that could have important implications for policymakers.

Companies developing stem cell-based interventions should work with policymakers and patient advocates to address risks for current and future patients and to protect clinical research and the reputation of the field, write the authors. Read their full article in Cell & Gene Therapy Insights (free registration).

The author reviews data on the growth of small businesses in Texas in the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Read the post on the Baker Institute Blog here.

The war in Ukraine could severely disrupt exports of Russian gas to Europe. Energy fellows Steven Miles and Gabriel Collins explain how existing LNG floating storage vessels can provide a concrete, rapidly implementable gas supply solution until longer-term infrastructure investments are in place.

In a joint letter, a group of scientists calls on U.S. policymakers and the nation's scientific communities to avoid shunning Russian scientists and academics for the actions of Russia's government in light of the invasion of Ukraine.

Gabriel Collins, the Baker Botts Fellow in Energy & Environmental Regulatory Affairs, testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission during a hearing on China's energy plans and practices. In his written testimony, Collins focuses on China’s interests in fossil energy resources and how they affect its energy procurement infrastructure. He also examines the extent to which China's energy import dependence has shaped the development of its military capabilities.

The intense marketing of unproven stem cell interventions has become an international health concern. The authors offer resources and suggestions for physicians seeking to effectively counsel patients and respond to their questions about various stem cell therapies.

This report finds that less than half of Texas hospitals are complying with federal price transparency regulations, despite a measure passed by the state Legislature intended to increase the financial penalty for noncompliance.

Analyzing insurance claims for BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, the authors found that level I and II trauma center expansion was not associated with increased prices or use of trauma activation fees in the state of Texas. Read the article in JAMA.