The U.S. Army has more than 130 installations worldwide and has a stated goal of operating a microgrid on all Army installations by 2035. With only 25 microgrid projects scoped and planned through 2024, the speed and intensity of microgrid research, deployment, and funding are critical for achieving microgrid goals and energy resilience. To better understand the nature of the microgrid requirement, ASP explored existing guidance, key research challenges, and other enabling factors which impact the Army's ability to achieve its microgrid goals. Read more...

Wildfires are an important part of forest regeneration in Florida, but they are also a destructive and sometimes deadly force. As the state’s population grows, climate change intensifies, and land becomes more developed, wildfires will have a greater impact on Florida’s economy, residents, and infrastructure, including military bases.Read more...

Climate and energy security remain at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy and national security. Both the National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Defense Strategy (NDS) firmly establish energy resilience as key components of U.S. national security. Congress has also passed key pieces of legislation which sent important signals to public institutions and private industry to pivot away from fossil fuels to create a new domestic clean energy system. To better understand the dynamics of the clean energy transition and their relationship to energy security and national security, ASP developed the Innovating Out of the Climate Crisis series, which focused on five industry case studies in the energy ecosystem: electrification, hydrogen, carbon emissions, agricultural technology, and hard to abate energy sectors. Through a series of webinars and written publications, ASP identified challenges, opportunities, and potential policy and regulatory remedies that can help implement clean energy policies, foster innovation, and facilitate a robust clean energy transition.Read more...

Hard to abate sectors, including steel, cement, and chemical manufacturing account for approximately 30 percent of global carbon emissions. These heavy industries have immense heat and energy requirements and generate emissions from chemical reactions inherent in their manufacturing processes, making them notoriously difficult to decarbonize. But, with demand for these industries projected to grow in the coming decades, it is essential to find new approaches to cutting emissions from these industries.Read more...

The U.S. military is having trouble recruiting enough Americans as fewer remain eligible for military service. The single biggest reason for disqualification is overweight and obesity. This briefing note offers a summary of the ways in which obesity affects military recruiting and presents a recommendations on how it can be addressed.Read more...

Few industries are more attuned to—and dependent on—the weather than farming. In the coming decades, climate change will make farmers’ jobs more difficult than ever, as rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and spreading pests all take their toll on production. But agriculture is not a neutral actor: emissions from the sector account for more than 10 percent of the U.S. total, only marginally less than those from all commercial businesses and residences. And with Farm Bill negotiations about to start in earnest, its important to explore how innovation in agriculture—including advances in biotech, animal husbandry, soil and nutrient management, and more—can help agriculture adapt to climate change and reduce emissions. Read more...

The clean energy transition and strong clean car standards have several benefits for public health and the environment, but also have implications for national security. From strategic competition with China, to military recruiting and readiness, there are many benefits to adopting strong clean car standards. Read more...

As the private sector, federal regulators, and climate activists alike search for more tools to keep carbon out of the atmosphere, active carbon management approaches like carbon capture, utilization, and storage – once seen as too costly, too risky, or both – are gaining renewed attention. Read more...

The Gulf of Mexico is a productive environment that suffers from extensive IUU fishing conducted by drug cartels. Often, Chinese customers make use of criminal channels to secure Gulf seafood that is otherwise inaccessible.   Read more...

According to the International Energy Agency, demand for hydrogen has grown threefold since 1975 and has recently gained popularity as a potential source of clean energy. But with an extremely high cost and high energy consumption for production, what role can green hydrogen play in the clean energy transition?Read more...