The electrical grid (power grid) is the combination of electricity generation, transmission, distribution, and control systems. Grid capacity refers to the ability of the electrical grid to reliably generate and deliver power to homes and businesses where and when it is needed. Generation capacity is the amount of electricity a utility is able to generate from coal, natural gas, or other sources.

Lithium (Li) is an element used in cell phones, pharmaceuticals, military technologies, electric vehicles and more, often in the form of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) classifies lithium as a critical mineral. A recent scientific paper published in the journal Nature found that it may be possible to extract significant amounts of lithium (up to 40% of US annual consumption) from Marcellus Shale gas production wastewater in Pennsylvania. These results could also apply to Marcellus wells in West Virginia. The Marcellus Shale is a geological formation beneath parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia (see figure). This Science and Technology Note considers potential challenges and benefits of pursuing lithium co-production with natural gas in West Virginia. 

The electrical grid is the combination of electricity generation, transmission and control and distribution systems (see figure). Electrical power outages can cause significant disruptions to economic activity, state functions, and public health.

This Science and Technology Note considers opportunities and challenges associated with efforts to develop a clean hydrogen industry in West Virginia.

This Science & Technology Note deals with economic costs and opportunities associated with orphaned oil and natural gas wells in West Virginia and considers possible policy options.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are new lower-power, smaller-footprint reactor designs that seek to avoid the high costs and delays associated with nuclear power. This Science and Technology Policy Note considers opportunities and challenges associated with advanced nuclear power deployment in West Virginia, with a particular focus on SMRs at former coal sites.

Forest carbon programs allow landowners to receive payment for taking certain management actions to increase the carbon stored on their land. This Science and Technology Note provides an overview of forest carbon markets and discusses some options available to West Virginia families that choose to take part in them.

Geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy that is generated from the natural heat of the Earth’s interior. This heat can be harnessed to produce electricity and heat buildings. The process is both environmentally friendly and sustainable, as it relies on the Earth’s constant internal heat. This Science and Technology Note highlights the opportunities and challenges associated with harnessing geothermal energy from former coal mine lands in West Virginia.