A first-of-its-kind report from researchers at Duke University and the University of Cape Town maps the most credible research and development opportunities for processing lithium and rare earth elements, critical minerals vital to the clean energy transition. The researchers offer recommendations to companies and countries trying to go beyond mining and expand their processing capability.

Duke University and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have awarded Joint Sustainability Research Initiative Grants to four collaborative research projects, including one co-led by Ashley Ward and another co-led by Sandeep Pai. 

Rising temperatures and increasing electricity costs are placing additional pressure on households already struggling to afford adequate cooling for their homes. Yet state and federal policies and funding do not offer the same support for air conditioning in hotter months as heating in colder months, according to a new analysis of the intersecting impacts of extreme heat and energy affordability.

Nicholas Institute expert Jackson Ewing told Elon News Network that the primary reason for proposed rate increases by Duke Energy Carolinas is to support plans for building new energy infrastructure to meet growing demand. “It would ultimately lead to changes in the system which could affect reliability, the way citizens are receiving power and the different options they might have for attaining and maintaining their electricity access,” Ewing said.

Ashley Ward (Nicholas Institute, Duke University) and Angel Hsu (Data-Driven EnviroLab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) joined WUNC's "Due South" to talk about heat challenges facing both urban and rural regions, tips for navigating the heat when running air conditioning at full blast isn’t an option and community-driven approaches to help protect everyone.

In this July 2026 webinar, an expert panel examined the drivers behind a new era of consolidation in the U.S. utility sector and the potential impacts for customers and investors. The webinar also explored what these transactions could mean for the future structure of the U.S. electric power sector and state policy options available to advance competitiveness.

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) produce more than half of all global coal, oil and gas, but they are often absent from planning for a just energy transition. Sandeep Pai (Nicholas Institute) and Sahba Chauhan (IKEA Foundation) write about how SOEs can use existing tools to move away from fossil fuels without upending the lives of the workers and communities who rely on them.

"[Heat] is not just a humanitarian problem," writes Nicholas Institute expert Ashley Ward. "It is a systemic stress on American productivity. So, we should present it in language every major American institution understands: risk management."

Ward outlines three necessary shifts for heat policy to evolve in the United States in a commentary published by NC Newsline.

People dealing with record summer heat waves across the United States and Europe aren’t getting much of a respite when the sun goes down, reports The Week. In cases where the temperature after sundown doesn’t drop below 75 to 80 degrees, people are “not getting the opportunity for recovery overnight, as we’ve historically seen,” said Nicholas Institute expert Ashley Ward.

Treating extreme heat as a public health issue dramatically underplays its economic tolls for communities and sectors, argues Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub. Ward writes in a new article that decision-makers should look to cybersecurity as a model for translating heat's material risks into defined financial categories.

California leads the nation in extreme heat policy but still faces key gaps in coordination, funding and protections, according to a new report by Duke University researchers.

Even after sunset, temperatures have remained elevated in central North Carolina in recent days, making it harder for the body to recover from prolonged exposure to the heat. Nicholas Institute expert Ashley Ward talked with ABC11 about the risks of high overnight temperatures.

Warm nights can pose additional dangers during heat waves. Heat Policy Innovation Hub Director Ashley Ward told WFAE that ensuring a cool sleeping environment can reduce the health risks associated with consecutive days of hot temperatures. “Prioritize cooling your bedroom, because that’s going to be a smaller area to cool, less expensive to cool," she said. "Also, that allows your body to have that important recovery time overnight."

Three Duke University experts, including Heat Policy Innovation Hub director Ashley Ward, discuss how heat affects health and share how individuals and communities can stay safe. 

Heat waves are becoming longer, stronger, and deadlier than ever. Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub, explained the mechanism to Tech Times: "The baseline is warmer. So, when a heat dome or a high-pressure system sets up, it's now starting from a hotter floor."