{"title":"Impacts of Construction Timelines on Generation Availability","authors":"Michael Lavillotti","doi":"10.1002/gas.22463","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gas.22463","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The rapid growth of digital infrastructure, driven by increasing demands for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities, has fueled an unprecedented need for data centers. Data centers are expected to consume up to 12 percent of total US electricity by 2028 with their expected electricity usage climbing between 325 and 580 terawatt hours (TWh) in the next four years, representing a growth rate between 13 percent and 27 percent. These facilities form the backbone of modern computing and cloud services, consuming large amounts of energy, often necessitating the construction of power plants and electric grid infrastructure to meet their needs. As data centers scale to capacities of 100 megawatts (MW) or more, their construction timelines and complexities increasingly resemble those of power plants designed to supply similar energy levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":100259,"journal":{"name":"Climate and Energy","volume":"41 11","pages":"8-14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143913962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Differentiating Natural Gas: An Overview of GHG Frameworks, Tracking Mechanisms, and NAESB Initiatives","authors":"Amrit Nagi","doi":"10.1002/gas.22462","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gas.22462","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Rising global attention on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has led to greater interest from consumers, regulators, and the energy industry in lower-emission energy sources, driving a demand for reporting frameworks that can quantify and verify environmental impact claims.<sup>1</sup> As the market grows, accurate emissions tracking will likely be critical to provide consumer assurance and confidence regarding environmental performance claims of fuel products, and can also help provide reliable, comparable data for regulators and policymakers. Internationally, and in the US, regulatory policies and consumer demand for lower-emission energy sources have fueled a growing domestic market for certified natural gas. States like Virginia and Tennessee, for example, are actively exploring policies that support the use of natural gas lower-emission alternatives, aiming to reduce GHG emissions. In this context, frameworks such as the GHG Protocol, Greenhouse Gasses, Regulated Emissions and Energy in Transportation (GREET), Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0, and emerging initiatives such as the Greenhouse Gas Supply Chain Emissions Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MMRV) Framework offer distinct methodologies and metrics for tracking emissions across the energy value chain.</p>","PeriodicalId":100259,"journal":{"name":"Climate and Energy","volume":"41 11","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143913961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"SEC Climate Disclosure Rule: Paused but Reporting Requirements Remain","authors":"David W. South","doi":"10.1002/gas.22466","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gas.22466","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule “Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors”<sup>1</sup> (climate rule) was adopted in March 2024 to standardize climate risk disclosures by public companies and public offerings for investors.</p>","PeriodicalId":100259,"journal":{"name":"Climate and Energy","volume":"41 11","pages":"27-32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143914044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Energy's Role in National Security","authors":"Paul A. DeCotis","doi":"10.1002/gas.22465","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gas.22465","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The relationship between energy security and national security is indisputable. We are seeing growth in energy use worldwide and for electricity, like we have not seen in decades. The <i>global energy review</i> found that global energy demand grew by 2.2 percent last year, which was faster than the average annual increase of 1.3 percent over the previous 10 years.<sup>1</sup> Electricity demand saw the most significant growth at 4.3 percent, well above the 3.2 percent growth in global gross domestic product (GDP). Electricity demand growth is being driven by global record temperatures, electrification of buildings, transportation, and industries, and digitalization of business operations and use of machine learning and acritical intelligence (AI) to support business operations. The growth in new energy supplies is also growing to meet this demand. Renewable energy sources, for example, accounted for the largest share of the growth in global energy supply (38 percent), followed by natural gas (28 percent), coal (15 percent), oil (11 percent) and nuclear (8 percent).</p>","PeriodicalId":100259,"journal":{"name":"Climate and Energy","volume":"41 11","pages":"21-26"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143914043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Turning Compliance into Opportunity: How FERC Order No. 2023 Redefines the Grid","authors":"Martin Shalhoub, Michael Lavillotti","doi":"10.1002/gas.22459","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gas.22459","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order No. 2023, issued in July 2023, represents a transformative shift in how new electricity projects interconnect with the power grid. By replacing the historical and outdated “first come, first served” approach with a “first ready, first served” model, the order prioritizes make-ready projects and mandates cluster studies to streamline interconnection processes. It also requires transmission operators to adopt more dynamic evaluation methods and models to improve transparency and help developers identify optimal points of interconnection while avoiding highly congested areas. FERC's changes aim to reduce delays, improve efficiency, and address the growing backlog of over 2,000 GW of stalled projects. This is also expected to prioritize projects and lower costs.</p>","PeriodicalId":100259,"journal":{"name":"Climate and Energy","volume":"41 10","pages":"19-22"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143778129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The US and Global LNG Business in 2025—Dancing Elephants","authors":"Richard D. Smead","doi":"10.1002/gas.22461","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gas.22461","url":null,"abstract":"<p>For many years, there has been a long-running anecdote around the energy industry that pursuing a single large, long-payout project in the middle of massive swirling market and economic forces is like trying to walk quickly through a roomful of dancing elephants—without getting stepped on.</p>","PeriodicalId":100259,"journal":{"name":"Climate and Energy","volume":"41 10","pages":"28-32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143778131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Integrated Approaches to Urban Heat Mitigation: Utility Infrastructure, Building Efficiency, and Their Socioeconomic Impacts","authors":"Kasia Baranek, Alyssa Ramirez, Zach Mendelson","doi":"10.1002/gas.22457","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gas.22457","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Urban areas worldwide face increasing challenges from rising temperatures, with the urban heat island effect amplifying the impact of climate change in urban areas. The Urban Heat Index (UHI) is the temperature difference between urban and rural environments caused by anthropogenic modifications to land surfaces and the built environment. This phenomenon impacts residents, businesses, and industries, and disproportionately affects vulnerable populations while also placing significant strain on utility infrastructure, particularly during extreme heat events. Central to the UHI effect is the albedo, or solar reflectance, of urban surfaces. While natural landscapes typically reflect 20–30 percent of solar radiation, urban materials, like asphalt and dark roofing, often reflect less than 10 percent, instead predominantly absorbing and retaining heat.<sup>1</sup> This decreased albedo, combined with reduced vegetation and building density, creates a feedback loop of heat absorption and retention. As cities grapple with these challenges, utilities emerge as one of the key stakeholders in energy management for effective heat mitigation strategies. Though the causes of the urban heat island effect are complex and often derived from municipal government and urban planning decisions, utilities are crucial partners in the process of built environment development and adaptation.</p>","PeriodicalId":100259,"journal":{"name":"Climate and Energy","volume":"41 10","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143778118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact of Choice Order on Environmental Purchases","authors":"Ted Peterson, Kacey Tollefson","doi":"10.1002/gas.22458","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gas.22458","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In surveys, the sequence in which options are presented often influences decision-making patterns. Academic research corroborates this trend, suggesting that the placement of choices, whether first or last, can influence selection outcomes. This article explores how research into choice order affects consumer purchasing decisions, particularly when weighing the environmental impact against product quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":100259,"journal":{"name":"Climate and Energy","volume":"41 10","pages":"11-18"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143778128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Overcoming Cognitive Dissonance in Permitting Interstate Pipelines","authors":"Jeff D. Makholm","doi":"10.1002/gas.22460","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gas.22460","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The struggles and delays regarding the permitting of infrastructure projects are an international and multi-sector problem. The latest <i>Journal of Economic Perspectives</i> (JEP—the prominent publication of the American Economic Association aiming to bridge the gap between the general interest business and financial press and standard academic economic journals) devoted an important survey paper to the subject by a prominent Yale economist, well known for his research on the costly and disruptive economic features of permitting.<sup>1</sup></p>","PeriodicalId":100259,"journal":{"name":"Climate and Energy","volume":"41 10","pages":"23-27"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143778130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An Evaluation of Traditional and Clean Energy Resources in the BRICS+ Nations","authors":"Shashi Bhusan Kr Vishwakarma","doi":"10.1002/gas.22454","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gas.22454","url":null,"abstract":"<p>BRICS has made various global headlines in 2024 due to its expansion to include other countries (BRICS+). The acronym was originally used for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The expansion in 2024 created an intergovernmental organization of ten member nations to now include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The organization accounts for half the world's population and over one-third of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The sizable population of BRICS+ poses significant regional energy demands. Sustainable energy consumption is a major issue in international politics, as global leaders are attempting to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels by transitioning to a clean energy economy. BRICS+ nations are taking steps to achieve their energy demands from clean and renewable energy sources. While the member nations account for more than two-thirds of the world's crude oil production, they have pledged to achieve 80 percent of their energy demand from clean energy resources by 2050, Considering its rich resources and technological advancement, BRICS+ has immense potential for growth in the energy sector. This article discusses the energy demand and its traditional and non-traditional production sources. The research is largely based on secondary data and attempts to illustrate future scenarios through energy trend evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":100259,"journal":{"name":"Climate and Energy","volume":"41 9","pages":"9-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143564938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}