The scramble for energy alternatives has brought new focus on nuclear power in the United States, but its revival faces political and practical obstacles.

Bernard Weinstein argues that America must revise it's domestic energy policy in order to circumvent high energy costs and homeland security threats.

Sebastian Mallaby says that merits exist to the argument for "charter cities."

President Obama's State of the Union stressed an agenda to boost competitiveness, bipartisanship, and sacrifice, but critics say he failed to lay out a convincing plan to tackle the country's mounting debt.

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill spotlights the growth of deepwater drilling and the challenges of balancing strong environmental regulation with efforts to expand U.S. domestic oil production.

Thanks to technological advances, in the past few years, vast amounts of natural gas -- particularly shale gas -- have become economically viable.

Morgan Bazilian, Patrick Nussbaumer, Erik Haites, Michael A. Levi, Mark Howells, and Kandeh K. Yumkella analyze the costs of providing near universal access to energy.

Clean-energy technology is expensive and the United States is spending far too little on developing it.

A possible transfer of political power in the congressional midterm elections could doom short-term chances for a comprehensive climate bill. But experts say climate issues could still be addressed through bills focused on clean energy.

Concerns about global wheat supplies are sparking fears that price inflation in the wheat market could lead to a food crisis akin to the one in 2008, says CFR's Laurie Garrett.

Michael A. Levi and Trevor Houser take a closer look at the numbers presented in the American Power Act.

What is energy security? On April 12-13, the Council on Foreign Relations convened academics, policymakers, and industry experts to assess the security implications of the way the world produces and consumes oil and natural gas. The workshop aimed to explore important issues at the intersection of oil, gas, and national security, and identify areas for future research. The first day focused on assessing the state of knowledge on energy and security, while the second explored U.S. policy options going forward. This summary report presents a broad agenda for energy security research that emerged from the meeting.

The worst oil spill in U.S. history, still growing in the Gulf of Mexico, has intensified debate about alternative fuel options. Here, four experts discuss how to reduce U.S. oil consumption.

Richard Heinberg offers an analysis of the technological, economic, and environmental impact of resource depletion in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

All across Africa, new tracks are being laid, highways built,ports deepened, commercial contracts signed—all on an unprecedented scale, and led by China, whose appetite for commodities seems insatiable. Do China's grand designs promise the transformation, at last, of a star-crossed continent? Or merely its exploitation?

Gilles Duranton and Matthew A. Turner investigate the relationship between interstate highways and highway vehicle kilometers traveled in U.S. cities.