Council of Councils
Think Global Health
Online Store
Introduction
Over the last several decades, governments have collectively pledged to slow global warming. But despite intensified diplomacy, the world is already facing the consequences of climate…
Energy and Environment
Renewable Energy
-
An Asia Super Grid Would Be a Boon for Clean Energy—If It Gets BuiltThrough an initiative known as the Asia Super Grid, or ASG, the countries made plans to build an ocean-floor power network to connect their electricity grids and enable a cleaner and more efficient pan-Asian electric power system.
-
The Digital Revolution Is Transforming Energy—Whether It Slows Climate Change Is Up to PolicymakersThis post is about a new book, “Digital Decarbonization: Promoting Digital Innovations to Advance Clean Energy Systems,” edited by Varun Sivaram. It is available as a paperback or e-book on Amazon, a…
-
Digital Decarbonization
![]()
Overview A digital revolution is sweeping the global energy sector. As energy industries produce ever more data, firms are harnessing greater computing power, advances in data science, and increas…
-
Energy, Trade, and Economic Growth: A Conversation with Robert KaplanRobert Kaplan of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas discusses his outlook on the energy market, the future of trade relations and NAFTA, as well as potential threats to U.S. and global economic growth.
-
Taming the SunSolar energy, the world’s cheapest and fastest-growing power source, could one day supply most of the world’s energy needs. In Taming the Sun, however, Varun Sivaram warns that solar’s current surge is on track to stall, dimming prospects for averting catastrophic climate change. Brightening those prospects, he argues, will require innovation—creative financing, revolutionary technologies, and flexible energy systems.
-
The Future of Renewable EnergyAs solar and wind power costs continue to fall and deployment grows, please join our panelists as they analyze the outlook for renewable energy globally and renewable energy policies in the United States, China, and countries around the world.
-
'Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet'Varun Sivaram discusses his forthcoming book, Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet.
-
Taming the Sun
![]()
Solar energy is the world’s cheapest and fastest-growing power source, but its rise is in danger of stalling. Varun Sivaram argues that realizing solar's potential will require innovation—creative financing, revolutionary technologies, and flexible energy systems. -
Why Solar Energy Needs Innovation to Reach Its PotentialSolar energy, the world’s cheapest and fastest-growing power source, could one day supply most of the world’s energy needs. But in a new book, “Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet” (MIT Press), energy expert Varun Sivaram warns that solar’s current surge is on track to stall, dimming prospects for averting catastrophic climate change. Brightening those prospects, he argues, will require innovation—creative financing, revolutionary technologies, and flexible energy systems.
-
China’s Coming Challenge to the U.S. Petro-EconomyU.S. oil production is set to surpass its all-time record monthly high (first set in 1970), and U.S. liquefied natural gas exports are roaring ahead, with 800 billion cubic feet already shipped since…
-
Still Shining? Our Third Annual Review on Solar Scale-up in IndiaThis guest post is co-authored by Joshua Busby, associate professor of public affairs at the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the LBJ School at the University of Texas a…
-
Is Natural Gas the Transition Fuel for Hydrogen?This post is co-written by Joan Ogden, professor of environmental science and policy at UC Davis and director of the Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways (STEPS) program at the campus’ Institut…
-
Trump's Solar Tariffs Create Far More Losers Than WinnersPresident Trump announced the first sweeping tariffs of his administration, enacting tariffs on solar panels and components from nearly every country in the world—but they create virtually no winners and a broad swathe of losers across the economy.
-
World Energy OutlookFatih Birol discusses the newest edition of World Energy Outlook, the prospects for renewable energy, and the outlook for energy markets in the coming year.
-
Clean Energy Might Reduce Global Warming, But What Will It Do to Geopolitics?This post is co-written by Sagatom Saha, Fulbright Fellow in Ukraine and Visiting Fellow at the Dixi Group. Read Varun Sivaram and Sagatom Saha’s new book chapter, “The Geopolitical Implications of a…
