Hurricane Harvey can help Houston rethink its car culture

Oct. 27, 2017
Texas and Florida residents who receive disaster-recovery checks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and private insurance companies in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma...

Rumors of coal power’s demise are not greatly exaggerated

Oct. 26, 2017
While there are legitimate questions about how competitive markets will ensure a reliable supply of electricity, a proposed rule to subsidize coal-fired power plants that are struggling...

Through the Looking Glass with the Clean Power Plan

Oct. 18, 2017
The Enivronmetal Protection Agency recently proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan, a key Obama Administration rule regulating power plant carbon dioxide emissions. The law requires the EPA to a prepare...

Wind capacity is estimated to overtake coal capacity in ERCOT given recent retirement announcements and planned additions

Oct. 13, 2017
New coal retirements announced by Luminant (Big Brown and Sandow plants) means ERCOT will soon lose significant coal generation capacity. At the same time, wind capacity is expected to increase by nearly...

To Drive or Not to Drive?

Oct. 11, 2017
With the popularity of ridesharing services growing, more consumers are wondering whether hailing a ride on an app can offer a viable and affordable alternative to owning a car.

How the Texas energy industry should move forward after Hurricane Harvey

Sept. 27, 2017
Hurricane Harvey taught us some valuable lessons about the vulnerability of Texas' energy industry, writes Energy Institute Deputy Director and Engineering Prof. Dr. Michael Webber...

Hydrogen could help solve electric vehicles' energy problem

Sept. 27, 2017
The comparison of battery-only and fuel-cell electric vehicles comes down to two competing technologies with different challenges, writes Michael Lewis...

Department of Energy should adjust its mission to focus on smart energy management

Aug. 30, 2017
Forty years after its inception, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) is at crossroads, writes Dr. Michael Webber, in a new op-ed published in several news outlets...

Delusions of grandeur in building a low-carbon future

Aug. 30, 2017
Economic models used to inform decision-makers about such policies as the Paris Agreement on climate change are fundamentally flawed, writes Dr. Carey King...

The times they are a’changin’ for electric utilities

July 5, 2017
The rapid growth of rooftop solar and other distributed energy resources could soon pose a serious threat to electric utilities’ traditional business model, writes Energy Institute Research Fellow Roger Duncan...