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At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

USGS2013

Evaporation from Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, March 2010 through February 2012

Evaporation from Lake Mead was measured using the eddy-covariance method for the 2-year period starting March 2010 and ending February 2012. When corrected for energy imbalances, annual eddy-covariance evaporation was 2,074 and 1,881 millimeters (81.65 and 74.07 inches), within the range of previous estimates. There was a 9-percent decrease in the evaporation rate and a 10-percent increase in the lake surface area during the second year of the study compared to the first. These offsetting factors resulted in a nearly identical 720 million cubic meters (584,000 acre feet) evaporation volume for both years. Monthly evaporation rates were best correlated with wind speed, vapor pressure difference, and atmospheric stability. Differences between individual monthly evaporation and mean monthly evaporation were as much as 20 percent. Net radiation provided most of the energy available for evaporative processes; however, advected heat from the Colorado River was an important energy source during the second year of the study. Peak evaporation lagged peak net radiation by 2 months because a larger proportion of the net radiation that reaches the lake goes to heating up the water column during the spring and summer months. As most of this stored energy is released, higher evaporation rates are sustained during fall months even though net radiation declines. The release of stored heat also fueled nighttime evaporation, which accounted for 37 percent of total evaporation. The annual energy-balance ratio was 0.90 on average and varied only 0.01 between the 2 years, thus implying that 90 percent of estimated available energy was accounted for by turbulent energy measured using the eddy-covariance method. More than 90 percent of the turbulent-flux source area represented the open-water surface, and 94 percent of 30-minute turbulent-flux measurements originated from wind directions where the fetch ranged from 2,000 to 16,000 meters. Evaporation uncertainties were estimated to be 5 to 7 percent. A secondary evaporation method, the Bowen ratio energy budget method, also was employed to measure evaporation from Lake Mead primarily as a validation of eddy-covariance evaporation measurements at annual timescales. There was good agreement between annual corrected eddy-covariance and Bowen ratio energy budget evaporation estimates, providing strong validation of these two largely independent methods. Annual Bowen ratio energy budget evaporation was 6 and 8 percent greater than eddy-covariance evaporation for the 2 study years, and both methods indicated there was a similar decrease in evaporation from the first to the second year. Both methods produced negative sensible heat fluxes during the same months, and there was a strong correlation between monthly Bowen ratios (R 2 = 0.94). The correlation between monthly evaporation (R 2 = 0.65), however, was not as strong. Monthly differences in evaporation were attributed primarily to heat storage estimate uncertainty.

Arizona;Nevada↗

USGS2020

An integrated feasibility study of reservoir thermal energy storage in Portland, Oregon, USA

In regions with long cold overcast winters and sunny summers, Deep Direct-Use (DDU) can be coupled with Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage (RTES) technology to take advantage of pre-existing subsurface permeability to save summer heat for later use during cold seasons. Many aquifers worldwide are underlain by permeable regions (reservoirs) containing brackish or saline groundwater that has limited beneficial use due to poor water quality. We investigate the utility of these relatively deep, slow flowing reservoirs for RTES by conducting an integrated feasibility study in the Portland Basin, Oregon, USA, developing methods and obtaining results that can be widely applied to groundwater systems elsewhere. As a case study, we have conducted an economic and social cost-benefit analysis for the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), a teaching hospital that is recognized as critical infrastructure in the Portland Metropolitan Area. Our investigation covers key factors that influence feasibility including 1) the geologic framework, 2) heat and fluid flow modeling, 3) capital and maintenance costs, 4) the regulatory framework, and 5) operational risks. By pairing a model of building seasonal heat demand with an integrated model of RTES resource supply, we determine that the most important factors that influence RTES efficacy in the study area are operational schedule, well spacing, the amount of summer heat stored (in our model, a function of solar array size), and longevity of the system. Generally, heat recovery efficiency increases as the reservoir and surrounding rocks warm, making RTES more economical with time. Selecting a base-case scenario, we estimate a levelized cost of heat (LCOH) to compare with other sources of heating available to OHSU and find that it is comparable to unsubsidized solar and nuclear, but more expensive than natural gas. Additional benefits of RTES include energy resiliency in the event that conventional energy supplies are disrupted (e.g., natural disaster) and a reduction in fossil fuel consumption resulting in a smaller carbon footprint. Key risks include reservoir heterogeneity and a possible reduction in permeability through time due to scaling (mineral precipitation). Lastly, a map of thermal energy storage capacity for the Portland Basin yields a total of 87,000 GWh, suggesting tremendous potential for RTES in the Portland Metropolitan Area.

Oregon↗

USGS2016

U.S. Geological Survey—Energy and Wildlife Research Annual Report for 2016

Recent growth and development of renewable energy and unconventional oil and gas extraction are rapidly diversifying the energy supply of the United States. Yet, as our Nation works to advance energy security and conserve wildlife, some conflicts have surfaced. To address these challenges, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting innovative research and developing workable solutions to reduce the impacts of energy production on wildlife. USGS scientists collaborate on many studies with scientists from other Federal, State, and local government agencies; Tribal nations; academic research institutions; and nongovernmental and private organizations. The mix of fuels used for electricity generation is evolving. Solar, natural gas, and wind energy made up most electricity generation additions in 2015 and 2016. The United States now leads the world in natural gas production, with new record highs for each year from 2011 through 2015. More than 48,000 wind turbines now contribute to power grids in most States, providing about 5 percent of U.S. end-use electricity demand in an average year. The number of utility-scale solar-energy projects is growing rapidly with solar energy projected to contribute to the largest electricity generation addition in 2016. A substantial number of large energy projects have been constructed on undeveloped public lands, and more are anticipated at an increasing rate, creating new stress to wildlife. Direct impacts include collisions with wind turbines and structures at solar facilities and loss of habitat which may negatively affect sensitive species. Recent estimates suggest 250,000 to 500,000 birds die each year at wind turbine facilities. Bat fatality rates at wind turbine facilities are less certain, but may average several hundred thousand per year throughout North America. Because new projects may be located in or near sensitive wildlife habitats, ecological science plays a key role in helping to guide project siting and operational decisions.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2014

Executive summary

Fossil fuels from the Appalachian basin region have been major contributors to the Nation’s energy needs over much of the last three centuries. Early records indicate that Appalachian coal was first mined in the middle 1700s (Virginia and Pennsylvania) and was used sparingly to fuel colonial settlements and, later, a fledgling industrial-based economy along the eastern seaboard of the United States (de Witt and Milici, 1989). In 2011, central Appalachian basin coal production accounted for approximately 77 percent of all U.S. metallurgical (or coking) coal and 29 percent of total U.S. production (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2013). Following initial discoveries and commercial use in western New York (1821) and Ohio and West Virginia (mid-1830s), the Appalachian petroleum (oil and gas) industry began in earnest in 1859 with the discovery of oil at the Drake well in northwestern Pennsylvania. Between 1860 and 1989, the Appalachian basin produced more than 2.5 billion barrels of oil (BBO) and more than 30 trillion cubic feet of gas (TCFG) from more than 500,000 wells (de Witt and Milici, 1989). Although both oil and gas continue to be produced in the Appalachian basin, most new wells in the region are drilled in shale reservoirs to produce natural gas. Appalachian coal and petroleum resources are still available in sufficient quantities to contribute significantly to the Nation’s energy needs. For example, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (2010) estimated that there are 6,484 million short tons of recoverable coal reserves in the Appalachian basin. Similarly, about 14.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BBOE) (1.2 BBO+81 TCFG [or 13.5 BBOE]) of recoverable Appalachian basin oil and gas remain available of an estimated ultimate endowment of approximately 25.5 billion BBOE (cumulative production + reserves + estimated recoverable undiscovered resources) (this volume, chap. C.1). U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Professional Paper 1708 is a modern, indepth collection of reports, cross sections, and maps that describe the geology of the Appalachian basin and its fossil fuel resources. Several of the chapters have been published in outside journals or as other USGS publications. Although this volume is not a comprehensive regional treatment of all notable geologic and fossil fuel localities in the Appalachian basin, the selected study areas and topics presented in the chapters cover large segments of the basin and a wide range of stratigraphic intervals. As the title implies, this volume addresses topics that refer to the locations of coal and petroleum accumulations, the stratigraphic and structural framework, and the geochemical characteristics of the coal beds and petroleum in the basin, as well as the results and documentation of recent USGS assessments of coal, oil, and gas resources in the basin. Many of the maps and accompanying data supporting the reports in this volume are available as downloadable geographic information system (GIS) data files (such as selected coal beds, selected oil and gas fields, locations of oil and gas wells, coal production, coal chemistry, total petroleum system (TPS) boundaries, and bedrock geology). Log ASCII Standard (LAS) files for geophysical (gamma ray) wireline well logs also are included. This publication supplements and updates older USGS regional studies of Appalachian basin coal and petroleum resources such as those by Arndt and others (1968) and the numerous contributors to USGS Miscellaneous Map Series I−917 (for example, Harris and others, 1978), respectively. USGS Professional Paper 1708 is intended primarily for geoscientists in academia, industry, and government who are interested in Appalachian basin geology and its coal and petroleum resources. Other users, however, may find the wide variety of topics, papers, and digital images of value for landuse and policy planning issues. Among the anticipated benefits of the report are improvements in (1) resource assessment estimates and methodology, (2) exploration strategies, (3) basin models, and (4) energy use policies.

Appalachian Basin↗

USGS2024

Net carbon sequestration implications of intensified timber harvest in Northeastern U.S. forests

U.S. forests, particularly in the eastern states, provide an important offset to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Some have proposed that forest-based natural climate solutions can be strengthened via a number of strategies, including increases in the production of forest biomass energy. We used output from a forest dynamics model (SORTIE-ND) in combination with a GHG accounting tool (ForGATE) to estimate the carbon consequences of current and intensified timber harvest regimes in the Northeastern United States. We considered a range of carbon pools including forest ecosystem pools, forest product pools, and waste pools, along with different scenarios of feedstock production for biomass energy. The business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, which represents current harvest practices derived from the analysis of U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data, sequestered more net CO 2 equivalents than any of the intensified harvest and feedstock utilization scenarios over the next decade, the most important time period for combatting climate change. Increasing the intensity of timber harvest increased total emissions and reduced landscape average forest carbon stocks, resulting in reduced net carbon sequestration relative to current harvest regimes. Net carbon sequestration “parity points,” where the regional cumulative net carbon sequestration from alternate intensified harvest scenarios converge with and then exceed the BAU baseline, ranged from 12 to 40 years. A “no harvest” scenario provides an estimate of an upper bound on forest carbon sequestration in the region given the expected successional dynamics of the region's forests but ignores leakage. Regional net carbon sequestration is primarily influenced by (1) the harvest regime and amount of forest biomass removal, (2) the degree to which bioenergy displaces fossil fuel use, and (3) the proportion of biomass diverted to energy feedstocks versus wood products.

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, ↗

USGS2020

Heterogeneity in migration strategies of the whooping crane

Migratory birds use numerous strategies to successfully complete twice-annual movements between breeding and wintering sites. Context for conservation and management can be provided by characterizing these strategies. Variations in strategy among and within individuals support population persistence in response to changes in land use and climate. We used location data from 58 marked Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) from 2010–2016 to characterize migration strategies in the U.S. Great Plains and Canadian Prairies and southern boreal region, and to explore sources of heterogeneity in their migration strategy, including space use, timing, and performance. Whooping Cranes completed approximately 3,900-km migrations that averaged 29 days during spring and 45 days during autumn, while making 11–12 nighttime stops. At the scale of our analysis, individual Whooping Cranes showed little consistency in stopover sites used among migration seasons (i.e., low site fidelity). In contrast, individuals expressed a measure of consistency in timing, especially migration initiation date. Whooping Cranes migrated at different times based on age and reproductive status, where adults with young initiated autumn migration after other birds, and adults with and without young initiated spring migration before subadult birds. Time spent at stopover sites was associated with migration bout length and time spent at previous stopover sites, suggesting Whooping Cranes acquired energy resources at some stopover sites that they used to fuel migration. Whooping Cranes were faithful to a defined migration corridor but showed less fidelity in their selection of nighttime stopover sites; hence, spatial targeting of conservation actions may be better informed by associations with landscape and habitat features rather than documented past use at specific locations. The preservation of variation in migration strategies existing within this species that experienced a severe population bottleneck suggests that Whooping Cranes have maintained a capacity to adjust strategies when confronted with future changes in land use and climate.

Great Plains, Canadian Prairies↗

USGS2002

Coal Extraction - Environmental Prediction

Coal from the Appalachian region has supplied energy to the Nation for more than 200 years. Appalachian coal fueled America through a civil war and helped win two world wars. Appalachian coal has also provided fuel for keeping America warm in the winter and cool in the summer and has served as the basis for the steel, automobile, organic chemicals, chlorine, and aluminum industries. These benefits have not come without environmental costs, however. Coal extraction and utilization have had significant environmental impacts.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2014

Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

Fossil fuels from the Appalachian basin region have been major contributors to the Nation’s energy supplies over much of the last three centuries. Appalachian coal and petroleum resources are still available in sufficient quantities to contribute significantly to fulfilling the Nation’s energy needs. Although both conventional oil and gas continue to be produced in the Appalachian basin, most new wells in the region are drilled in shale reservoirs to produce natural gas. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Professional Paper 1708 is a modern, indepth collection of reports, cross sections, and maps that describe the geology of the Appalachian basin and its fossil fuel resources. This publication supplements and updates older USGS regional studies of Appalachian basin coal and petroleum resources. Some chapters are new, and several have been published in outside journals or as other USGS publications. Although this volume is not a comprehensive regional treatment of all notable geologic and fossil fuel localities in the Appalachian basin, the selected study areas and topics presented in the chapters pertain to large segments of the basin and a wide range of stratigraphic intervals. This volume discusses the locations of coal and petroleum accumulations, the stratigraphic and structural framework, and the geochemical characteristics of the coal beds and petroleum in the basin, as well as the results of recent USGS assessments of coal, oil, and gas resources in the basin. Many of the maps and accompanying data supporting the reports in this volume are available from chapter I.1 as downloadable geographic information system (GIS) data files about the characteristics of selected coal beds and oil and gas fields, locations of oil and gas wells, coal production, coal chemistry, total petroleum system (TPS) boundaries, and bedrock geology. Log ASCII Standard (LAS) files for geophysical (gamma ray) wireline well logs are included in other chapters. Professional Paper 1708 is intended primarily for geoscientists in academia, industry, and government who are interested in Appalachian basin geology and its coal and petroleum resources. Other users, however, may find the topics, papers, and digital images valuable for land-use and policy planning. Among the anticipated benefits of the report are improvements in (1) resource assessment estimates and methodology, (2) exploration strategies, (3) basin models, and (4) energy use policies.

Appalachian basin↗

USGS2024

New methodology for assessing underground natural gas storage resources – Example from Michigan Basin, United States

Energy consumption in the United States (U.S.) and across the world is shifting away from traditional fossil fuels like coal and oil, and towards natural gas and renewable sources, including hydrogen. Because gas demand is typically greatest during cold seasons and renewable sources sometimes produce variable supplies, it is important to store energy for use when demand exceeds supply. Whereas batteries and tanks typically store energy above ground, geologic (underground) storage may be able to retain much greater quantities of energy over much longer durations (e.g., Matos et al. 2019; Buursink et al. 2023). Consequently, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing a methodology to locate new geologic energy storage sites with an initial focus on depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs followed by estimates of associated pore space or gas storage capacity. Depleted hydrocarbon fields in Michigan Basin in the U.S. already host large quantities of injected natural gas (about 681 billion cubic feet of seasonal gas capacity in 42 gas storage facilities; U.S. Energy Information Administration 2024). Therefore, we used this basin as an example to assess potential new storage resources alongside existing storage capacity and carbon dioxide sequestration resources (e.g., Katz and Coats 1968; Haagsma et al. 2020). In Michigan Basin gas storage is taking place in reservoirs within several key hydrocarbon producing formations with different lithologies, including the informal Stray sandstone of the Michigan Formation and the pinnacle reefs of the Niagara Group (Gautier et al. 1995; Swezey et al. 2015). The assessment methodology introduced here consists of two steps relying on both well information and reservoir data.

Michigan↗

USGS2002

Characterization and modes of occurrence of elements in feed coal and fly ash; an integrated approach

Despite certain environmental concerns, coal is likely to remain an important component of the United States energy supply, partly because it is the most abundant domestically available fossil fuel. One of the concerns about coal combustion for electricity production is the potential release of elements from coal and coal combustion products (CCPs) - fly ash - to the environment. This concern prompted the need for accurate, reliable, and comprehensive information on the contents and modes of occurrence of selected elements in power-plant feed coal and fly ash. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is collaborating with several electric utilities to determine the chemical and mineralogical properties of feed coal and fly ash. Our first study analyzed coal and fly ash from a Kentucky power plant, which uses many different bituminous coals from the Appalachian and Illinois Basins. Sulfur content of these feed coals rangedfrom 2.5 to 3.5 percent. The second study analyzed coal and fly ash from an Indiana power plant, which uses subbituminous coal from the Powder River Basin (fig. 1). Sulfur content of this feed coal ranged from 0.23 to 0.47 percent. A summary of important aspects of our approach and results are presented in this report.

Indiana, Kentucky↗

USGS2017

Lithium

Lithium, the lightest of all metals, is used in air treatment, batteries, ceramics, glass, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, and polymers. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are particularly important in efforts to reduce global warming because they make it possible to power cars and trucks from renewable sources of energy (for example, hydroelectric, solar, or wind) instead of by burning fossil fuels. Today, lithium is extracted from brines that are pumped from beneath arid sedimentary basins and extracted from granitic pegmatite ores. The leading producer of lithium from brine is Chile, and the leading producer of lithium from pegmatites is Australia. Other potential sources of lithium include clays, geothermal brines, oilfield brines, and zeolites. Worldwide resources of lithium are estimated to be more than 39 million metric tons, which is enough to meet projected demand to the year 2100. The United States is not a major producer at present but has significant lithium resources.

Professional Paper↗

USGS2009

Coal-to-liquids: Potential impact on U.S. coal reserves

The production of liquid fuels from coal will very likely become an important part of the hydrocarbon energy mix of the future, provided that technical and environmental obstacles are overcome economically. The coal industry should be able to handle a coal-to-liquids (CTL) industry of modest size, using 60-70 million short tons or 54-64 million metric tonnes of coal per annum, without premature depletion of the country's coal reserves. However, attempts to use CTL technology to replace all petroleum imports would deplete the nation's coal reserves by the end of the century. ?? 2009 U.S. Government.

Natural Resources Research↗

USGS2011

Estimates of electricity requirements for the recovery of mineral commodities, with examples applied to sub-Saharan Africa

To produce materials from mine to market it is necessary to overcome obstacles that include the force of gravity, the strength of molecular bonds, and technological inefficiencies. These challenges are met by the application of energy to accomplish the work that includes the direct use of electricity, fossil fuel, and manual labor. The tables and analyses presented in this study contain estimates of electricity consumption for the mining and processing of ores, concentrates, intermediate products, and industrial and refined metallic commodities on a kilowatt-hour per unit basis, primarily the metric ton or troy ounce. Data contained in tables pertaining to specific currently operating facilities are static, as the amount of electricity consumed to process or produce a unit of material changes over time for a great number of reasons. Estimates were developed from diverse sources that included feasibility studies, company-produced annual and sustainability reports, conference proceedings, discussions with government and industry experts, journal articles, reference texts, and studies by nongovernmental organizations.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2021

Completion summary for boreholes USGS 148, 148A, and 149 at the Materials and Fuels Complex, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, drilled and constructed boreholes USGS 148A and USGS 149 for stratigraphic framework analyses and long-term groundwater monitoring of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in southeastern Idaho. Initially, boreholes USGS 148A and USGS 149 were continuously cored to allow the USGS and INL subcontractor to collect select geophysical and seismic data and evaluate properties of recovered core material. The USGS geophysical data and descriptions of core material are described in this report; however, data collected by the INL contractor, including seismic data, are not included as part of the report. The unsaturated zone at both borehole locations is relatively thick, depth to water was measured at approximately 663.6 feet (ft) below land surface (BLS) in USGS 148A, and at approximately 654.1 ft BLS at USGS 149. On completion of coring and data collection, both boreholes (USGS 148A and USGS 149) were repurposed as monitoring wells. Well USGS 148A was constructed to a depth of 759 ft BLS and instrumented with a dedicated submersible pump and measurement line; well USGS 149 was constructed to a depth of 974 ft BLS and instrumented with a multilevel monitoring system (Westbay TM ). Geophysical data, collected by the USGS, were used to characterize the subsurface geology and aquifer conditions. Natural gamma log measurements were used to assess sediment-layer thickness and location. Neutron and gamma-gamma source logs were used to confirm fractured and vesicular basalt identified for aquifer testing and multilevel monitoring well zone testing. Acoustic televiewer logs, collected for well USGS 149, were used to identify fractures and assess groundwater movement when compared with neutron measurements. Furthermore, gyroscopic deviation measurements were used to measure horizontal and vertical displacement for the constructed boreholes USGS 148A and USGS 149. A single-well aquifer test was done in well USGS 148A during November 6–7, 2019, to provide estimates of transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity. Estimates for transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity were 6.34×10 3 feet squared per day and 3.17 feet per day, respectively. The aquifer test was run overnight (21.3 hours) and measured drawdown was relatively small (0.09 ft) at sustained pumping rates ranging from 15.7 to 16.1 gallons per minute. The transmissivity estimates for well USGS 148A were slightly lower than those determined from previous aquifer tests for wells near the Materials and Fuels Complex, but well within range of other aquifer tests done at the INL. Water-quality samples, collected from well USGS 148A and from four zones in well USGS 149, were analyzed for cations, anions, metals, nutrients, volatile organic compounds, stable isotopes, and radionuclides. Water samples for most of the inorganic constituents showed similar chemistry in USGS 148A and all four zones in USGS 149. Water samples for stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen indicated some possible influence of irrigation on the water quality. Nitrate plus nitrite concentrations indicated influence from anthropogenic sources. The volatile organic compound and radiochemical data indicated that wastewater disposal practices at the Materials and Fuels Complex or from drilling had no detectable influence on these wells.

Idaho↗

USGS2026

Dormant-season prescribed fires can enhance forage quality for two growing seasons in the northwestern Great Plains

Fire is an ecological disturbance that can accelerate nutrient cycling and alter herbivore distribution in grasslands and shrublands. Historically and today, humans have used prescribed fire to enhance forage quality for wild and domestic herbivores, and to achieve other management objectives. Contextual factors such as ecosystem type, seasonality, and fuel characteristics can determine how prescribed fire affects forage quality. For example, forage quality enhancements are relatively short lived in shortgrass steppe and subhumid grasslands but may persist for multiple years in northern mixed-grass prairie and sagebrush steppe. Outcomes near ecosystem boundaries are uncertain. Using 152 independent, small-plot, prescribed burns completed over multiple years at 36 sites in Wyoming and South Dakota, USA, we tested the effects of ecosystem type (northern mixed-grass prairie vs. sagebrush grassland ecotone), burn seasonality (fall vs. spring), and fuel characteristics (ambient vs. added fuel) on forage quality. Across ecosystems, fall fires had strong positive effects on forage quality parameters during the first growing season after fire, and energy benefits that persisted into the second growing season after fire. In northern mixed-grass prairie, spring and fall prescribed fires implemented before the same growing season yielded similar forage quality enhancements for one season. Finally, artificially increased fuel loads had few effects on forage quality. Although forage quality rarely dropped below critical nutrition thresholds for ruminants regardless of burning, our findings suggest relatively consistent, positive forage quality responses to prescribed fire across ecosystem types, seasonality of dormant-season burns, and fuel characteristics. Many improvements lasted through one growing season, and some persisted into a second growing season. Managers could take advantage of short-term nutritional benefits via adaptive management strategies that allow animals access to burned and unburned areas.

South Dakota, Wyoming↗

USGS2026

Uranium—Deposits, production and resources, market dynamics, and supply chain risks

Introduction Interest in nuclear power for the generation of electricity has risen with the increase in the need for more diverse baseload power, enhanced energy security, and the development of new technologies, such as small modular reactors (SMRs), which could provide power for remote areas, industrial applications, and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy received $2.7 billion in congressional funding to bolster the domestic uranium production and nuclear fuel supply chain and address reliance on imports from foreign suppliers. In 2025, the U.S. Government issued several Executive and Secretary’s orders aimed at revitalizing the U.S. nuclear sector. If SMRs are to be as widely deployed in the United States and worldwide as envisioned, demand for uranium (nuclear reactor fuel) will likely increase. After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, the market spot price of uranium began a decline, followed by a decrease in U.S. and global uranium exploration and mine development expenditures that led to a uranium supply deficit until 2020, when prices started to recover, prompting a resurgence in uranium exploration and development. In January of 2024, the uranium spot price rose to a 17-year high $106 (U.S. dollars) per pound of U3O8 (triuranium oxide, commonly known as “yellowcake”), which is expected to increase uranium exploration, mine development, and uranium production domestically and worldwide.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2019

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions of Amazon hydropower with strategic dam planning

Hundreds of dams have been proposed throughout the Amazon basin, one of the world’s largest untapped hydropower frontiers. While hydropower is a potentially clean source of renewable energy, some projects produce high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit electricity generated (carbon intensity). Here we show how carbon intensities of proposed Amazon upland dams (median = 39 kg CO 2 eq MWh −1 , 100-year horizon) are often comparable with solar and wind energy, whereas some lowland dams (median = 133 kg CO 2 eq MWh −1 ) may exceed carbon intensities of fossil-fuel power plants. Based on 158 existing and 351 proposed dams, we present a multi-objective optimization framework showing that low-carbon expansion of Amazon hydropower relies on strategic planning, which is generally linked to placing dams in higher elevations and smaller streams. Ultimately, basin-scale dam planning that considers GHG emissions along with social and ecological externalities will be decisive for sustainable energy development where new hydropower is contemplated.

Nature Communications↗

USGS2025

Practitioners’ perceived risks to biodiversity from renewable energy expansion through 2050

Large-scale (e.g., > 1 megawatt capacity) wind and solar energy (hereafter, LSWS) developments are increasing to aid decarbonization. However, LSWS can also negatively affect biodiversity. Planners and other interested parties’ perceptions about the impact of LSWS on biodiversity will thus affect how trade-offs are managed during planning and buildout. We present a survey of professionals (n=116) working at the intersection of LSWS and biodiversity protection across the United States concerning: (1) perceived environmental impacts from LSWS expansion; and (2) how these impacts compare to other land-use and land-cover change drivers. We find that practitioners perceive LSWS to impact biodiversity negatively but less so than other land-cover change drivers, including fossil fuels and agriculture. This highlights the need for increased attention to the role of practitioners in advancing renewable energy and biodiversity conservation.

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications↗