North Carolina is home to a single utility-scale wind farm, the 208 MW Amazon Wind Farm East in Elizabeth City. Its 104 turbines situated in coastal conditions generate enough electricity each year to power 61,000 homes. Last month, the Duke University Energy Initiative organized a Power Trip to the farm, journeying northeast with 28 students enrolled in degree programs across four different Duke schools. Alexis Schuster (MEM'20) writes about the experience.

When it comes to water, critical decisions are made every day, regardless of data availability. But what if we could harness more data to make better-informed decisions? The Internet of Water seeks to fundamentally change how we manage water by improving access to more water data for real-time decision-making.

http://bigdata.duke.eduSeveral Duke University faculty, fellows, and researchers will share their expertise at the Western Energy & Water Forum on Jan. 23-26, 2019. The Duke University Energy Initiative is the 2019 Academic Partner for this invitation-only gathering organized by the Colorado Energy & Water Institute (CEWI) in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The event will bring together North American leaders for a meaningful conversation about the future of energy and water. Duke alumni interested in participating should contact Stacy Peterson, assistant director for student and alumni engagement.

"[A] Republican environmentalist, historically, is not an endangered species or an oxymoron," writes William K. Reilly, former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1989-1993), and Chair of the Nicholas Institute's Board of Advisors, in an analysis published in Scientific American.

In September, the Bridge Collaborative and the United Nations Development Programme brought together more than 30 global leaders and experts in New York City to discuss the question: what steps can be taken to accelerate integrated actions for health and environment?

Several Republican candidates in North Carolina are embracing climate change, saying that humans are playing a role. Congressmen Ted Budd and George Holding made the comments during debates on Spectrum News.

EI Director Brian Murray recently wrote a new piece for Forbes on state and federal carbon taxes: "On A Carbon Tax, It Must Be Nice To Have Washington On Your Side?" From the chalkboard to the sausage factory, get the scoop on Washington state's upcoming carbon tax vote and what it may say about states' motives.

What happens when 21 successful energy alumni intersect with 21 motivated energy students for a weekend? 

The Duke University Energy Initiative decided to find out with its 36 Hours in Energy event on October 12-14, 2018. The Energy Initiative, Duke's interdisciplinary hub for all things energy, assembled the 42 attendees for a program that was equal parts networking and futurecasting. Check out the full multimedia story.

Carbon emissions tied to U.S. electricity generation have dropped 28 percent since 2005 to a total of 1,744 million metric tons last year — the lowest since 1987 — according to data the U.S. Energy Information Administration posted publicly, reports Greenwire.

Gov. Roy Cooper has signed an executive order that directs the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2025. Jennifer Weiss, a senior policy associate with the Climate and Energy Program at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions told NPR that it "is a realistic goal, but I think it's going to take a lot of work by multiple parties."