The Program on Energy and Sustainable Development is part of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
Foreign Policy
Recent Scholarly Publications
Records 24 / 49
Oil and Governance: State-owned Enterprises and the World Energy Supply
January 2012
National oil companies (NOCs) produce most of the world’s oil and natural gas and bankroll governments across the globe.
The Policy Tightrope in Gas-Producing Countries: Stimulating Domestic Demand Without Discouraging Supply
February 2011
Executive SummaryNatural gas can offer substantial environmental, energy security, and convenience advantages over competing fuels such as coal and oil. Gas is relatively abundant in the world,...
The Future of South African Coal: Market, Investment, and Policy Challenges
January 2011
As the world's fifth largest coal exporter and a key swing supplier between the Atlantic and Pacific coal markets, South Africa is a crucial player in global markets. While the country has long...
Remaking the World's Largest Coal Market: The Quest to Develop Large Coal-Power Bases in China
December 2010
China's coal market is now in the midst of a radical restructuring that has the potential to change how coal is produced, traded and consumed both in China and the rest of the world. The...
Making Carbon Offsets Work in the Developing World: Lessons from the Chinese Wind Controversy
March 2010
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is the leading international carbon market and a driving force for sustainable development globally.
When It Comes to Demand Response, Is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission its Own Worst Enemy?
October 2009
The traditional approach to demand response of paying for a customer's electricity consumption reductions relative to an administratively set baseline is currently being advocated by the Federal...
Promoting Clean Development Competing Market Mechanisms Post-2012
October 2009
(Excerpt) According to climate scientists, averting the worst consequences of climate change requires that the increase in global temperature should be limited to 2°C (or 3.6°F).
Finesses and Game-Changers in Frontier Project Development: The Case of Carbon Capture and Storage
August 2009
Project development is particularly challenging in “frontier” environments where alternative technologies, conflicting laws and agencies, and uncertain benefits or risks constrain the knowledge or...
Real Drivers of Carbon Capture and Storage in China and Implications for Climate Policy
August 2009
The capture and permanent storage of CO2 emissions from coal combustion is now widely viewed as imperative for stabilization of the global climate. Coal is the world’s fastest growing fossil fuel....
Climate Change and the Energy Challenge: A Pragmatic Approach for India
August 2009
India has been famous for arguing that it (and the rest of the developing world) should incur no expense in controlling emissions that cause climate change.
Evolution of China's Coal Institutions, The
August 2009
Coal is the major primary energy which fuels economic growth in China.
Climate Change and the Energy Challenge: A Pragmatic Approach for India
March 2009
India has been famous for arguing that it (and the rest of the developing world) should incur no expense in controlling emissions that cause climate change. The west caused the problem and it...
Carbon Capture and Storage at Scale: Lessons from the Growth of Analogous Energy Technologies
February 2009
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a promising technology that might allow for significant reductions in CO2 emissions.
Global Warming Policy After Kyoto: Rethinking Engagement with Developing Countries
January 2009
Effective strategies for managing the dangers of global climate change are proving very difficult to design and implement. They require governments to undertake a portfolio of costly efforts that...
Climate Accession Deals: New Strategies for Taming Growth of Greenhouse Gases in Developing Countries
December 2008
Effective strategies for managing the dangers of global climate change are proving very difficult to design and implement.
Demise of the Standard Model for Power Sector Reform and the Emergence of Hybrid Power Markets
October 2008
Following earlier reforms in the power sectors of industrialized countries and emerging markets (e.g.
Measuring the Clean Development Mechanism's Performance and Potential
August 2008
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol is the first global attempt to address a global environmental public goods problem with a market-based mechanism.
Energy and India's Foreign Policy
May 2008
This study was presented by PESD research fellows Jeremy Carl and Varun Rai and PESD Director David Victor at the conference “The Future of India's Foreign Policy,” hosted by the Center for the...
The Void of Governance: An Assessment of Pemex's Performance and Strategy
April 2008
Mexico's Petróleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, is the world's third-ranked company by oil production.
A Realistic Policy on International Carbon Offsets
April 2008
As the United States designs its strategy for regulating emissions of greenhouse gases, two central issues have emerged.
Gazprom: Gas Giant Under Strain
January 2008
This study, which is part of a larger research project on state-controlled hydrocarbon resources, looks at the strategy, evolution and performance of Gazprom, Russia's largest state company.
Making Small Work: Business Models for Electrifying the World
September 2007
Despite over a century of investment in electric power systems, there are roughly 1.6 billion people who lack access to electricity service, mainly in rural areas.
Fragmented Carbon Markets and Reluctant Nations
September 2007
Stanford Law School Professor and director of the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development, David Victor, authors the book chapter "Fragmented carbon markets and reluctant nations:...
Political Economy of Power Sector Reform: The Experiences of Five Major Developing Countries
March 2007
Over the last fifteen years the world's largest developing countries have initiated market reforms in their electric power sectors from generation to distribution.