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. 

Nicholas Institute expert Sandeep Pai spoke to The Wire about his recently published research on India's efforts to repurpose coal-powered facilities into new, cleaner electricity generation capacity. "A just transition in the energy realm could take different approaches," he said. "Many see coal asset repurposing, from closed mines and plants to new uses like solar, as an essential tool for a just transition."

Launched in 2021 by Sandeep Pai and Shreya Jai, The India Energy Hour features insightful conversations with prominent figures in academia, civil society and government about the critical challenges of and prospects for India’s energy transition.

In this episode of "Abundant Energy," Nicholas Institute expert Tim Profeta joined host Todd Thomas and fellow guest Tom Mathew, senior strategy manager at NorthStar Clean Energy, to explore one of the biggest infrastructure questions of the AI era: How do we power the rapid growth of data centers without sacrificing affordability, reliability or sustainability?

Duke University expert Sandeep Pai joined the KankeTalks podcast to explore a range of topics on India's energy future, including whether India is prepared for an energy crisis, the strategic challenges of being 85% dependent on oil imports and the hidden winners and losers in the country's transition from coal to renewables. The conversation also touched on the impact of the U.S.-Iran conflict on gas prices, the reality of the electric vehicle revolution and the geopolitics of rare earth minerals.

Renewables generated more than a third of U.S. electricity in March, overtaking gas for the first time. Nicholas Institute Director Brian Murray explained to Newsweek that "spring is typically the high-water mark for renewables." As the demand for electricity continues to grow, Murray said the United States "will see a more diverse portfolio of generation assets to meet those demands."

Discussions at the third annual “From Billions to Trillions” summit ranged from filling clean energy investment gaps to addressing AI energy demand to navigating political risks … and much more.

Could rising fuel costs from the 2026 Iran war mean an increased global reliance on coal? Nicholas Institute expert Sandeep Pai told the BBC World Business Report that likelihood is low. “There is no momentum towards coal at a global level,” he said. “In some countries, they might build a few more coal plants because of this crisis. Once this crisis subdues, I do believe this is a short-term phenomenon.”

The power industry and its regulators are increasingly urging tech companies to scale back energy consumption at data centers when called upon by utilities and grid operators, Reuters reports. Taking action when local grids are maxed out could save $40 billion to $150 billion in capital investments over the next decade, according to a recent Nicholas Institute analysis.

Coal is integral to Asia’s emergency energy plans as the Iran war disrupts oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Its wide availability in Asia makes it the default backup when renewables or gas fall short, Nicholas Institute expert Sandeep Pai explained to The Associated Press.

India’s coal sector releases about 2.8 million tons of methane into the atmosphere every year—around 2 percent of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. In a commentary at Outlook Business, Sandeep Pai (Duke University) and Felicia Ruiz (Clean Air Task Force) explain why cutting methane from closing coal mines isn’t just a necessary global climate objective for India, but also in the country’s own interest.

A major driver of rising energy bills is the cost of building grid infrastructure to serve new data centers, electric car chargers and manufacturing plants, but even as demand grows, there is a lot of unused capacity already on the grid, reports Latitude Media. Last year, Duke University researchers found across the U.S. there may be 100 gigawatts to spare, if only utilities and state energy regulators could both measure and unlock the extra room.

"If the energy transition is an engineering challenge, it is equally a capital allocation—and governance—challenge. And neither is simple," writes Nicholas Institute Director Brian Murray on LinkedIn. Murray's article offers several key takeaways from Duke's third "From Billions to Trillions" summit, which convened hundreds of business leaders, investors, policymakers, consultants, faculty, students, and practitioners.

A surge in AI-driven electricity demand is colliding with the United States’ push to decarbonize in a moment that requires both urgency and discipline, according to speakers at Duke’s third annual “From Billions to Trillions” summit. The Sanford School of Public Policy recaps two sessions focused on a central question: How can we scale infrastructure fast enough for AI while protecting affordability, reliability and climate gains?

New modeling by Nicholas Institute experts focused primarily on the economic benefits of data center load flexibility, but it also pointed the way to reducing high-emitting natural gas plants by replacing them with solar, wind and battery storage. Author Martin Ross spoke with The Energy Mix about some of the key findings of the analysis and what additional data is needed "to evaluate how the system will respond to the growth in data centers."