Research Library

Organizations across the energy ecosystem are grappling to incorporate sustainability into their long-term planning and strategic visions. The Center for Energy Studies’ new sustainability initiative focuses on ways to face these challenges. This new report examines the initiative’s five objectives and provides key takeaways to develop viable sustainability strategies.

As we transition to a 21st-century power grid fueled by renewable energy and controlled by electronics, ensuring the reliability and stability of power supplies will be key. In this issue brief, nonresident scholar Julie A. Cohn explores recent developments and historical analogues crucial for a successful grid transition.

Rapid urbanization and expansion of cities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has created new opportunities — along with environmental risks, lack of financial and natural resources, and social disparity. In a new issue brief, visiting research scholar Osamah Alsayegh explores how developing smart sustainable cities can bring social and economic benefits to the growing urban population.

Hoping to expand trade relations post-Brexit, the U.K. is forming nonbinding memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with individual U.S. states. Fellow David A. Gantz’s report navigates the complex political terrain and economic promises of these MOUs with a focus on the U.K.’s agreements with Texas and Washington.

No longer confined to the lab, genetically altered products are now being marketed to the public. This means the need for genetic biocontainment has shifted from the laboratory to the general environment.

Recent federal research security initiatives have put the U.S. at risk of losing its lead in science and technology, write senior fellow Neal F. Lane, Steven Pei, and Jeremy Wu. They lay out a path toward clear, fair policy that safeguards America’s security and competitiveness while fostering a welcoming research environment for foreign talent.

While the U.S. has tried to appear assertive in taking action against China’s trade practices, this strategy has yielded limited results. In a new commentary, fellow Simon Lester summarizes current U.S. policies addressing China’s trade conduct and advocates for the U.S.’ revitalized engagement with the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement system.

Earlier this year, China released new regulations on monetization features in video games — and then walked them back after they caused gaming stocks to plunge. Experts unpack the incident on this week’s episode of Baker Briefing.

Climate change, conflict, and displacement in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region present overlapping challenges to policymakers. This new joint report from the Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East and United States Institute of Peace examines four key components — natural resources, urban fragility, gendered impacts, and international financing — and makes specific recommendations to address these complex issues.

How do urban redevelopment and revitalization projects impact a community’s small businesses? A new report by Alisha Small, scholar for economic growth, and co-author Lebena Varghese details survey results from business owners in Houston’s Third Ward, a historically African American community experiencing economic and demographic change.