Research Guides: A Guide to Energy Geography: Current Events

Energy & Science Policy

Image credit: Wind Turbine at Bowling Green Wind Farm, Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

Supporting Science Campaign, American Association of Geographers
This site provides information on AAG advocacy for government support of research in geography.
"Green Energy Supporters Pushed for Faster Permitting." Associated Press, April 24. 2025
Coverage of the Department of the Interior's changes in the permitting process for energy projects.
Administration "Orders Coal Revival, But Market Favors Natual Gas," National Public Radio, April 17, 2025
Coverage of energy-related executive orders.
"Funding Freeze Could Leave Communities on their Own as Climate Threats Grow," National Public Radio, February 12, 2025.
Coverage of the effects of the pause of grant payments under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
"Energy Emergency Is a Gift to Fossil Fuel Firms," National Public Radio, January 22, 2025
Coverage of the "National Energy Emergency" presidential action.

Artificial Intelligence

"AI Has an Environmental Problem. Here’s What the World Can Do About That," UN Environment Programme , September 21, 2024
Summarizes recent UNEP reports on AI's environmental footprint, promise, and perils.
"Artificial Intelligence: Generative AI's Environmental and Human Effects," U.S. Government Accountability Office, April 22, 2025
This report discusses the potential risks of generative AI to individuals and the environment.
"The Energized Enclosure of AI," by T. Daivs & S. Stoneman, Energy Humanities, July 30, 2024.
The authors examine the "discourse around the accelerated development of AI," AI's "materialities and political economy," and the possibility of a "more equitable, ethical, and environmentally conscious AI infrastructure."

COVID-19 Pandemic

Energy Transition, Climate Change, and COVID-19 by Fateh Belaïd (Editor); Anna Cretì (Editor)
Call Number: HC59.3 .E54 2021

COVID-19 (International Energy Agency)
Resources on this page explore the "impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on global energy markets, energy resilience, and climate change."
COVID-19 Impacts on Oil Markets (Energy Policy Institute)
This page provides links to a podcast, and analysis, and related resources on the impact on oil markets of COVID-19. From the Energy Policy Institute at The University of Chicago.
Data Tracker: Impact of COVID-19 on Electricity Consumption and Particulate Pollution (Energy Policy Institute)
This data tracker shows the impact of COVID-19 on electricity consumption and particulate pollution. From the Energy Policy Institute at The University of Chicago.
The Post-COVID Recovery: An Agenda for Resilience, Development and Equality (International Renewable Enery Agency)
This June 2020 report provides policy and investment recommendations for COVID recovery, grounded in the agency's long-term energy transformation strategy.
SDG7: Data and Projections (International Energy Agency)
This report finds that the COVID pandemic has "slowed progress towards sustainable energy goals even as renewables continue to gain ground."
Covid-19: Exploring the Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Global Energy Markets, Energy Resilience, and Climate Change
This report examines the "implications of the pandemic for energy systems and clean energy transitions." It present data, analysis, and recommendations to help governments navigate Covid-related challenges.
Water, Energy and COVID-19 (Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions Network)
From the Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions Network of the United Nations, this page discusses the critical role of sustainable water and energy solutions in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and other health crises.
Will COVID Drive an Early Peak in Transportation Activity and Oil Demand? (Center on Global Energy Policy)
This study investigates whether "COVID will accelerate, slow, or have no lasting effect on the energy transition away from oil and to the electrification of the transportation sector." Includes links to related research. From the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.

Russia-Ukraine Crisis

Russian Energy Chains: The Remaking of Technopolitics from Siberia to Ukraine to the European Union by Margarita M. Balmaceda
Call Number: HD9502.R82 B368 2021

Nuclear Safety and Security in Ukraine (International Atomic Energy Agency)
Provide "updates on nuclear safety, security and safeguards implications of the conflict in Ukraine as a result of the Russian Federation’s military operation" that began in February 2022.
Petition of Solidarity with the People of Ukraine (American Association of Geographers)
"We, the undersigned members of the American Association of Geographers (AAG), declare our unequivocal support for the sovereign country of Ukraine and the families and individuals impacted..."
Playing My Part: How to Save Money, Reduce Reliance on Russian Energy, Support Ukraine and Help the Planet (International Energy Agency)
Created by the European Commission and the International Energy Agency, this report was created to "raise European citizens’ awareness of the benefits of energy savings and the importance of putting energy efficiency at the heart of planning and investments."
Russia-Ukraine Crisis (Access World News/NewsBank Special Reports)
Provides global coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis in the news, with updates added daily.
Special Series: Ukraine Invasion Explained (National Public Radio)
This series provides updates and context for the situation in Ukraine: "the roots of Russia's invasion of Ukraine go back decades and run deep. The current conflict is more than one country taking over another; it is — in the words of one U.S. official — a shift in 'the world order.' "
Ukraine: Energy in the Spotlight Series (Centre for Energy Ethics)
This online series from the Centre for Energy Ethics at the University of St. Andrews explores "the everyday energy realities faced by Ukrainians, the new ethical dimensions of energy that have emerged from the war, and the transregional implications for energy futures in Ukraine and worldwide."
Ukraine: Russia-Ukraine War and Nuclear Energy (World Nuclear Association)
Provides a timeline of key events and updates on the status of nuclear power plants in Ukraine.

Newspapers (Online)

Use these databases to search for full text articles from US and global newspapers.

Access World News (Newsbank)
Provides the full text of global, regional and local news sources. Coverage ranges from over 40 Minnesota sources to international sources from over 200 countries.
US Newsstream
Indexing and selected full text access to over 350 newspapers from around the world. Archival coverage begins in 1985 for some titles. Access is provided by eLibraryMN (ELM).

Current Events (Minnesota & the US)

Note: If you hit a "paywall" using the newspaper sites listed below (e.g., Minneapolis Star Tribune, The New York Times, The Washington Post), try searching in one of our subscription newspaper databases instead: Access World News or ProQuest Newsstream.

Current Events (Europe & International)

Note: If you hit a "paywall" using the newspaper sites listed below (e.g., Al Jazeera, The Guardian), try searching in one of our subscription newspaper databases instead: Access World News or ProQuest Newsstream.