Fossil Fuels
For centuries, coal, oil, and gas have provided the backbone of our energy makeup and were responsible for propelling our societies into the modern era. Moving into the energy transition, big questions endure about what role these historically important fuels will play in our future.
Recent Work
Unlocking Rare Earth Elements from Coal Waste: Pennsylvania’s Opportunity
Coal ash disposal sites are often a source of environmental pollution. Incentivizing extraction of rare earth elements from these sites in Pennsylvania presents a win-win opportunity to position the state as a leader in domestic critical mineral production while simultaneously resolving environmental liabilities.
Crisis to Cooperation: What Can Mineral Exporters Learn From OPEC?
This digest explores how resource-rich nations might draw lessons from OPEC in pursuing cooperative governance to enhance equity, stability, and strategic autonomy in critical mineral markets amid growing global reliance and geopolitical competition.
Oil & Gas
Subsea Sabotage: Protecting Energy Infrastructure from Hostile Aggression
Once a niche area of energy security policy, the physical protection of energy and critical infrastructure installations has become a national security requirement due to the growing trend of physical sabotage incidents worldwide. This digest, a companion to the Underwater Mayhem report, is part of a multi-year research project focused on improving monitoring and deterrence to counter the escalating count of subsea critical infrastructure sabotage attacks now ubiquitous around the globe.
Remote Sensing-Based Monitoring Networks for the Next Generation of Energy and Environmental Policymaking
Revolutions in remote sensing technologies and data science offer the potential to transform environmental policymaking and meet the existential challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
Featured Researcher
Cary Coglianese
Edward B. Shils Professor of LawCary Coglianese is the Edward B. Shils Professor of Law and professor of political science at the Carey School of Law. He also is the director of the Penn Program on Regulation and a faculty fellow at the Kleinman Center.
Featured Researcher
Angela Pachon
Director of Global InitiativesAngela Pachon is the director of global initiatives at the Kleinman Center, in charge of designing and overseeing international programs and teaching. She was previously the Center's research director.
Featured Researcher
Nicholas Pevzner
Assistant Professor, Department of Landscape ArchitectureNicholas Pevzner is a faculty fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and an assistant professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design.
Featured Researcher
John Quigley
Senior FellowJohn Quigley is a senior fellow at the Kleinman Center and previously served on the Center's Advisory Board. He served as Secretary of the PA Department of Environmental Protection and of the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Featured Researcher
Benjamin Schmitt
Senior Fellow, Kleinman Center and SASBenjamin Schmitt is a joint senior fellow at the Kleinman Center and the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Penn. He is also an affiliate of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and associate of the Harvard-Ukrainian Research Institute.
Featured Researcher
Jennifer Wilcox
Presidential Distinguished ProfessorJen Wilcox is Presidential Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Energy Policy. She previously served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management at the Department of Energy.