Texas’ energy reliability and the future of global energy supply chains are just a few of the topics addressed in the first annual Energy Insights – a collection of articles from fellows and scholars at the Center for Energy Studies (CES) from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy that provides expert data and analysis on some of the most pressing policy issues affecting national and global energy markets.
The articles reflect a sample of the insights that can be gleaned from ongoing research at CES, rooted in specific programmatic areas within the center, to better understand what may come to pass across the energy landscape over the next few years.
“While no one can predict exactly what comes next, if we are paying attention, the road we travel provides plenty of signposts that can be used to understand the challenges and opportunities ahead,” wrote CES Senior Director Kenneth Medlock.
The Baker Institute’s CES consistently looks for markers that can provide an indicator of how the future of energy may unfold. In Energy Insights 2024, experts outline some key issues such as Texas electricity policy, energy and geopolitics in Eurasia, how the energy transition will affect the Middle East, the growing necessity of minerals and materials, and more.
For instance, the outcomes of proposed policies to address various issues with the reliability of the Texas electricity grid carry implications for electrification and the deployment of renewable energy well beyond the State of Texas, argues Julie Cohn, author of the article “What is on the Horizon for Electricity in Texas?” where she presents several key recommendations to address concerns about the grid’s reliability.
The last 250 years have featured dramatic transformation in energy use and the global economic system – and the energy landscape continues to change, Medlock says.
“Industrialization, improved living standards, technological and process innovation, and increased mobility of people and goods, to name a few, are all hallmarks of continual energy transition,” he said. “The process is not done. The past lives on through long-lived legacy infrastructures, and the future evolves most rapidly when it can leverage that legacy. Exactly how though, remains an elusive topic.”
Some of the most challenging questions faced by society today require a holistic approach to achieve environmentally, socially and economically sustainable answers, Medlock said. By working across programmatic strengths in an interdisciplinary manner, CES fellows and scholars aim to advance discourse and achieve workable, scalable solutions.
Energy Insights 2024 is organized according to the research focus of CES, which includes electricity markets and policy; regional geopolitics; energy, minerals and materials; global natural gas; global oil; new energy technologies; sustainability; and transportation. Fellows and scholars whose insights are featured in the 2024 edition are Cohn, Medlock, Gabe Collins, Ted Loch-Temzelides, Jim Krane, Osamah Alsayegh, Francisco Monaldi, Tilsa Oré Mónago, Michelle Michot Foss, Steven Miles, Mark Finley, Mahmoud El-Gamal, Chris Bronk, Rachel Meidl and Ed Emmett.
CES has an active year of research and programming, featuring conferences, roundtables and workshops that are in line with the advancement of Baker Institute initiatives and research programs in coordination with other Rice divisions such as the Carbon Hub and the Rice Sustainability Institute.
The institute’s energy research is a testament to the fellows, scholars, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and staff who contribute time and effort to maintaining the highest standards to deliver data-driven research while striving to elevate, not advocate, research findings, Medlock said.