
A Pony with Multiple Tricks: Why Transmission is America’s Energy Security Secret Advantage
America is amidst an energy revolution, and we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to control our destiny and realize an energy independent economy. One piece of overlooked infrastructure holds the key: high-voltage electric transmission.

Watch: Untangling the U.S. Government’s Many Critical Minerals and Materials Lists
Watch the SAFE Center for Critical Minerals Strategy's recent webinar which convened experts from the Department of the Interior, Energy, and Defense for a webinar examining the U.S. government’s many critical minerals and materials lists to get clarity about how various departments determine what gets included on these lists and how the different methodologies may change in the future.

One Year Later, The IRA Is Working
The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Biden on August 16, 2022, was the most significant signal of support for the transition to electric vehicles by the federal government. It serves as a critical part of the effort to achieve the Biden Administration’s goal that 50 percent of all new vehicles sold in 2030 are electric—an essential step toward reducing the United States’ dependence on oil.

Deep-Sea Mining: State of Play
Lying on the abyssal plains of oceans at depths of 3,500-6,000 meters, polymetallic nodules contain essential minerals used in the electric vehicle batteries fueling the energy transition. Enriched in manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt, nodule fields of interest have been identified in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), Penrhyn Basin, and Peru Basin of the Pacific Ocean as well as in the north Indian Ocean. Reserves of certain critical minerals found in the CCZ alone have been estimated to surpass global terrestrial reserves.

Aluminum is Essential To The Green Transition
Aluminum is one of the foundational industrial materials of modern society, integral to everything from passenger airplanes to kitchen appliances. Recent U.S. legislative incentives – lead by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – to produce more solar panels, EVs, electrical charging infrastructure, and other clean energy transition products will increase the demand for primary aluminum only further.

Illinois Can Help Lead the Transportation Revolution
A transportation revolution is underway around the globe. The most significant shift in how people move from point A to point B since the transition from horse and buggy to Model T is beginning in earnest, bringing significant opportunities for Illinois and the Midwest.

Critical Minerals, Critical Constraints
The Theory of Constraints was developed in 1984 by Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt, an Israeli business management consultant. Goldratt’s key insight was that every process has at any time one key constraint that limits production flow. Once the constraint is identified and resolved (through a combination of quick fix and more structural improvements), the next constraint becomes apparent and can be similarly attacked. The Theory of Constraints (ToC) has since become a powerful management tool frequently used in supply chain and manufacturing. ToC can also provide insight into the policy maker actions required to hit aggressive regulatory and production targets for EV sales.

Data Holds the Key to a Lower Cost Energy Transition Across the Freight Sector
One of the most transformative roles freight data can play is to accelerate the sector’s energy transition. By bringing digital technologies to scale and leveraging digitalization, we can bridge the efficiency gaps in supply chains and optimize freight movement while achieving broader sustainability goals.

Germany’s Nationwide Transit Pass is a Model for Expanding Travel Freedom Throughout Europe
Germany is betting that making access to transit convenient and affordable will make it a more attractive mobility option and encourage people to shed their cars for most trips. And in doing so, is showing the way for the rest of Europe to transform their transit systems.

Rural EV Charging: Road Trip Reflections
With the heightened focus on rural EV charging networks following the announcement of the $2.5 billion Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grant program, we would like to share this timely piece written by EC Director of Technical Services Matt Stephens-Rich about a road trip in his 2015 Nissan Leaf, and the lessons he learned about the state of rural EV charging in the United States.
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