What connects smallholder farmers in the semi-arid tracts of northwest India to the oil and gas barons of Texas and Oklahoma? A little green bean called guar! Faraz Usmani discusses how the seeds of this humble legume yield a potent thickening agent that greatly enhances the effectiveness of fracking fluid.

Duke researchers have begun working with the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation and Social Impact to evaluate regulatory reforms and incentives meant to stimulate off-grid renewable energy in the Benin MCC compact.

To clarify environmental risks from Belt and Road Initiative road and rail development and examine best practices to address risks, World Bank researchers from Duke University have produced the working paper Reducing Environmental Risks from BRI Investments in Transportation Infrastructure.

Environmental risks vary both among and within different economic corridors of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s initiative to strengthen regional cooperation through infrastructure and investment.

Jonathan Wiener reflects on the impacts of interdisciplinary collaboration at Duke, where he's played an integral role in Bass Connections projects exploring energy-related topics like autonomous vehicles and regulatory disaster scene investigation (think oil spills and nuclear accidents). Wiener holds professorial appts at the Duke University School of Law, the Nicholas School of the Environment, & the Sanford School of Public Policy.

Mark Borsuk was quick to embrace opportunities to pursue collaborative research and teaching with his new colleagues after joining the faculty of the Pratt School of Engineering in 2016. The Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering teamed up with faculty from the Law School, Sanford School of Public Policy, Nicholas School of the Environment, and Pratt to explore shared interests in risk analysis, decision-making, and climate change. Read the full article here.

A new article in InsideEPA explains that a new peer-reviewed study of the greenhouse gas (GHG) and other emission effects of EPA's Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) proposal finds the policy would have the perverse outcome of boosting GHGs in 18 states and the District of Columbia by causing almost one-third of existing coal plants to run more often.

A new article in Law360 discusses how Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s plan to seek bankruptcy protection to address crippling liabilities for California wildfires should ring alarm bells for utilities, regulators and lawmakers in other states and force them to examine whether the current utility business model can accommodate climate change-related risks to energy infrastructure, policy experts say.

As power-plant emissions decline in the Northeast, a group of East Coast states is targeting another source of greenhouse gases: cars, trucks and mass transit. This Pew Charitable Trusts article quotes Duke University Energy Initiative director Brian Murray on parallels with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative's efforts.

Data+ is a 10-week summer research experience that welcomes Duke undergraduates interested in exploring new data-driven approaches to interdisciplinary challenges. For Summer 2019's program, students can choose from an unprecedented number of energy projects. From oil and gas production to smart meters, wholesale energy markets, energy access, and Duke's energy use, these projects tackle a wide range of real-life energy problems.  Check out the Data+ Fair on Thursday, January 17th to talk with project leads, and learn more and apply by the Feb. 25th deadline!