Clean Energy
The future of energy is reliant on the development and deployment of carbon-free energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal. Maneuvering challenges in this field will be critical to the energy transition.
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.
Looking Forward: Future Proofing SDG 7 Indicators Post-2030 for Equity, Outcomes, and Interlinkages
Although energy is central to sustainable development, existing SDG 7 indicators lack demographic disaggregation, rely heavily on input-level metrics, and fail to capture interlinkages with other SDGs. Drawing on existing examples of effective indicators across institutions, this brief outlines three recommendations to review the post-2030 SDG 7 framework.
Solar
Beyond Washington: Financing Solar Access
Federal policy shifts, including the rollback of the Investment Tax Credit and cancellation of the Solar for All program, threaten progress in expanding rooftop solar access for low-income households. This digest analyzes the current policy landscape and highlights financing strategies that state, local, and private actors can leverage to maintain momentum in equitable clean energy adoption.
Agrivoltaic Options and Designs at the New Bolton Center of the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School
The Penn School of Veterinary Medicine is exploring the development of an agrivoltaics project combining sheep grazing for research with the production of solar electricity to help power the New Bolton Center. This digest looks at three options: ideal, low-cost, and zoning-constrained.
