Energy Economics

A comprehensive study on the application of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) for fault diagnosis in nuclear power plants was presented in this dissertation. An effective and reliable fault diagnosis system that can enhance
the safety, efficiency, and reliability of nuclear power plant operations was developed as the primary objective of this research. Data obtained from the PCTRAN simulator, which accurately simulates the dynamic behavior of a nuclear power plant under various operating conditions and fault scenarios, was utilized in the study. The complex and dynamic nature of
nuclear power plant processes was realistically represented by the simulated data. The fundamentals of fault diagnosis and the principles of PCA and KPCA were introduced in the dissertation. PCA, a widely used linear technique for dimensionality reduction and feature extraction, and KPCA, a non-linear extension of PCA capable of capturing complex
relationships in the data, were discussed. The dissertation then focused on the application of PCA and KPCA to the fault diagnosis problem in nuclear power plants. Preprocessing and transformation of the PCTRAN simulator data were performed using these techniques to create
reduced-dimensional representations that retained the most significant fault-related information. Fault diagnosis algorithms were developed using the transformed data, with PCA and KPCA employed to classify normal and faulty conditions based on the reduced-dimensional data. The performance of these fault diagnosis models was evaluated in terms of
accuracy and precision. Additionally, the impact of different parameters, such as the choice of  kernel function and kernel bandwidth, on the performance of KPCA-based fault diagnosis models was investigated. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of PCA and KPCA in identifying and diagnosing faults in nuclear power plants using the PCTRAN simulator data and Python as a results tool. The proposed fault diagnosis system exhibited promising performance in terms of accuracy and reliability, contributing to the enhancement of nuclear power plant safety and operational efficiency. A valuable insight into the application of PCA
and KPCA for fault diagnosis in nuclear power plants were provided by this dissertation. The findings contribute to the development of advanced and robust fault diagnosis systems, with potential implications for improving the safety and reliability of nuclear power plant operations.

A B S T R A C T
Invisible minorities, including some Indigenous groups, face an almost constant struggle against exclusion,
restricted access to services and patterns of institutional racism against them, and inequities in democratic
participation and representation. This research examines how one such community, the Irish Travellers, understand
and experience an absence of energy justice, including lack of access to clean renewable energy.
Drawing from 38 household interviews and community site visits, our study reveals persistent patterns of energy
poverty—households reported 40–60% of monthly expenditures on energy services—and exclusion from
decision-making processes, revealing failures in both procedural and distributive justice. We document that
discriminatory and segregation practices against Irish Travellers have contributed to the erosion of Travellers’
cultural practices and customs. Our findings underscore how spatial injustices have led to “unjust geographies”
that limit Travellers’ opportunities to engage in, and benefit from, just energy transitions. By capturing the lived experiences of Irish Travellers, our study helps broaden how energy justice is understood, conceptualised and
lived among an invisible minority. To achieve a full just transition, we must recognise the experiences and epistemologies of invisible minorities in the broader energy agenda.

Rain-fall shortage constrains production in small-holder agriculture in developing countries and with ongoing climate change these shortages may increase. Rain-water harvesting are interesting technologies that decrease this risk. Therefore, one would expect an increasing use of these technologies in drought-prone areas. However, data collected in Ethiopia shows that the share of irrigated land in total landholding declines with farm size. This study investigates why the share declines with farm size using panel data collected in 2005 and in 2010. A random-effect tobit model is estimated for the share of irrigated land as a function of variables affecting returns, market prices, source of finance and expectation formation. The findings show farm-specific factors such as credit per hectare, distance to market, ease of selling output, landholding, regional differences, aridity and distance of plots from natural water sources significantly affect the share. Thus, encouraging investment has to consider farm-size, and also geographical, environmental and regional diversity.

This paper assesses the economic impacts of the Hutan Kamasyarakatan (HKm) social forestry program in the Sumberjaya watershed in West Lampung District of Sumatra, Indonesia, which began in 2001 to provide farmer groups permits to use already deforested state Protection Forest (PF) land in exchange for protecting remaining forests, planting timber and agro-forestry trees in their coffee plantations, and using soil and water conservation measures. The study is based on analysis of a survey conducted in 2005 for 640 plots in the watershed, selected using a stratified random sample of land of different tenure categories, and their operator households, and surveys of communities with PF land and HKm groups in the watershed. We find that HKm permit holders are poorer on average than owners of private land, but have comparable wealth to users of other eligible PF land who have not applied or received HKm permits, and users of National Park (NP) land, which is not eligible for HKm. Compare...

was established in 1975. IFPRI is one of 15 agricultural research centers that receive principal funding from governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations, most of which are members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). IFPRI gratefully acknowledges the generous unrestricted funding from

By bundling spent fuel disposition into an industrial clustering and economic development package, the Trump administration invited states to compete for nuclear megacampuses that could include waste facilities long considered politically untenable on their own. The federal-state partnership model is a shrewd response to state-level resistance—long the Achilles’ heel of U.S. nuclear waste policy.  But the plan also carries legitimacy risks.  DOE asked states to envision nuclear campuses with 50,000 direct jobs, up to 150,000 indirect jobs, 10,000 new housing units, and billions in annual wages, with facilities coming online as early as 2027. It gave states ~2 months to provide information on siting, geology, community engagement, and transportation access, while expressing a preference for “more ambitious timelines” and expedited permitting.  That ambition is complicated by the plan’s unresolved financial structure.  A repository would presumably draw on the Nuclear Waste Fund. But DOE asks states to seek private-sector funding—from private equity, venture firms, tech companies, and nuclear industry partners—for most other campus facilities, with federal support limited to near-term coordination, cost-sharing, technical assistance, and loan guarantees to de-risk early investments.  Embedding the U.S. spent fuel program in a financially uncertain, logistically underspecified, fast-tracked campus plan exposes nuclear waste governance to the mercurial politics of nuclear deregulation. Prospective host communities may ask whether the Trump administration has put forward a credible multi-generational development framework—or an overextended political vision vulnerable to market volatility.

https://thebulletin.org/2026/05/will-the-trump-administrations-nuclear-campus-plan-break-the-us-nuclear-waste-gridlock/

For the promising population, the growing demand of energy has delicate the requirement of alternative sources of energies other than fossil fuels. Though renewable energy resources like solar, biomass, hydro and geothermal energy appear as environment friendly, replenishing sources of energy, a comprehensive solution appears far-fetched as far as large scale production and wide-spread dissemination is concerned when long term cost factors are taken into consideration. The unwavering boost of population and ongoing depletion of fossil fuels and have further exacerbated the energy crisis. In this paper, discussions on the limitations of conventional and renewable sources of energy compared to advanced fourth generation nuclear power on the basis of environmental contamination, energy security, cost of fossil fuels and electricity generation and have philosophy to the prospects of nuclear power as the ultimate future energy option for the developing countries are done. Environmental issues, long term cost factors , radiation hazard and safety concerns have been considered with respect to the generation of electricity using advanced third Generation nuclear power. This study proposes that gen-4 nuclear appears to be a long term environment favorable panacea to the much discoursed problem of energy crisis by maintaining energy security and long term cost concern in developing countries as well as in the whole world.

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Increased use of alternative fuels and low commodity prices have contributed to the recent expansion of the U.S. ethanol industry. As with any competitive industry, some level of output price risk exists in the form of volatility; yet, no actively traded ethanol futures market exists to mitigate output price risk. This study reports estimated minimum variance cross-hedge ratios between Detroit spot cash ethanol and the New York Mercantile Exchange unleaded gasoline futures for 1-, 4-, 8-, 12-, 16-, 20-, 24-, and 28-week hedge horizons. The research suggests that a one-to-one cross-hedge ratio is not appropriate for some horizons.

With increased pressure to redistribute animal manure in order to lower the environmental pressure from agriculture, it seems obvious to consider processing slurry into nutrient rich fractions which can easily be transported. In this paper, an overall analysis of four different separation technologies is presented. The four technologies are Decanter, Funki Manura 2000, Green Farm Energy and Staring. These technologies are all implemented on a full scale in Denmark. In this paper both the economic and environmental aspects are considered, looking at the entire chain from stable to the field. The total investments range from 50,000 to 4 million € and the total net costs are from 1 to 7 € per tonne for the four different technologies. One of the clear environmental benefits is a better utilisation of phosphorus, but using phytase in feeding is a cheaper first step when reducing phosphorus surplus. Improved nitrogen utilisation is only apparent with the Staring and Green Farm Energy concepts. The conclusion is that the Funki Manura 2000 system is too expensive and the Decanter system a fairly cheap way to reduce phosphorus levels, but other benefits are limited. Staring and Green Farm Energy show the greatest potential, but these systems have not been running long enough to validate the expected results included in this paper.

This study estimates the causal relationship between electricity consumption and economic growth with annual data for the Commonwealth Independent States countries in three groups of income levels. Empirical results reveal that electricity consumption and GDP are cointegrated for all these countries. Furthermore, there is a unidirectional causality from electricity consumption to GDP for all groups in the long run. Effect of electricity consumption on the GDP is negative for the second group of countries which supports the energy conservation policies, whereas it is positive for the first and third group of countries which supports the growth hypothesis.

China is a prisoner of its geography, where approximately 80 Per cent of its crude oil imports come through the Strait of Malacca, showing a fundamental strategic vulnerability and exposing its energy supply chain to potential disruption by rival powers, particularly the United States with its chain of alliances and India with its geographic presence in the Indian Ocean. Drawing on Mahanian’s concept of sea power, this paper examines how China has pursued strategic diversification of maritime routes to mitigate its structural chokepoint dependency, with particular focus on the Arctic as an emerging supplementary corridor. The analysis evaluates two Principled mitigation strategies. First, the string of pearls - a network of dual-use infrastructure spread across South and Southeast Asia developed under the envelope of the Belt and Road Initiative seeking to establish a forward naval presence in the Indian Ocean; however, major parts of this initiative, such as CPEC and CMEC, are struggling from operational constraints due to armed conflicts or anti-Chinese sentiment. Second, the Arctic policy formalised in 2017 through Vision for Maritime Cooperation and the 2018 Arctic White Paper, positions the Northern Sea Route as a strategic alternative to Suez-dependent trade lanes, offering a potential 40 per cent reduction in shipping distance between East Asian and European ports. The paper finds that, though Sino-Russian cooperation has accelerated following Russia's post-2022 international isolation, the Northern Sea Route remains constrained by severe infrastructure deficits, seasonal navigability limitations, and the withdrawal of Chinese firms from sanctioned projects, revealing financial pragmatism over strategic commitment. Furthermore, a coordinated strategic push from the Western alliance system in the Arctic region has significantly slowed Chinese resource and infrastructure investments across the wider Arctic region. The paper concludes that the Chinese Arctic strategy is a long-term investment fuelled by commercial incentives compelling enough to overcome Nordic reluctance and to prioritise economic rationality over security concerns, though the ultimate viability is contingent on the Northern Sea Route's operational maturation and the sustainability of the Sino-Russian partnership amid escalating geopolitical polarisation.

Niger Delta is one of the most natural resources endowed region in Nigeria. However, due to the fact that this region is the heartland of Nigeria's oil economy and therefore the bedrock of national revenue it represents at once a locus of social unrest and environmental degradation and a pressing need for social services. The paper analytically and historically explores the welfare capitalism in the Niger Delta, and the duality of such a model that can provide social welfare through economic development. The existing social services, the issues that challenges implementation of welfare policies and the oil wealth impact on the Niger Delta people, were analysed. Social service provision in the Niger Delta has frequently been inadequate, highlighting the shortcomings of welfare capitalism in the region. The Nigerian government and multinational oil corporations have instituted a range of development initiatives since the early 2000s, with mixed results. The paper notes and observes that education remains an essential component of social development, that mirrors the complexities of welfare capitalism in the Niger Delta. Schools tend to be overcrowded, under resourced, and badly maintained, and the dropout rates of students, especially girls, are high. The paper proffers a solution regarding the improvement of schools in the region just to ensure reliable development of social services in the region.

The objective of this paper was to explore how financial development affects the relationship between sustainability practices and sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa, where poor institutional quality and shallow financial markets may prevent sustainability gains from translating into measurable improvements in human development, poverty reduction, and environmental outcomes. Both descriptive and explanatory components were included in the study, which employed a longitudinal panel design. Using a positivist, longitudinal panel design, this study analyzes data from 49 Sub-Saharan African countries (2000-2023) sourced from the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and Sustainable Development Reports. Data analysis was done using regression models and descriptive analysis. The findings show that financial development does not serve as an effective transmission channel through which sustainability practices impact the achievement of sustainable development. The research concluded that policy interventions should include developing sustainable banking regulations, creating green finance incentives, establishing sustainability-linked lending criteria, and strengthening financial inclusion policies that target sustainable development sectors.

The rapid growth of electricity demand in Vietnam has placed increasing pressure on the national power grid, highlighting the need for efficient renewable energy utilization. This study investigates the technoeconomic performance of grid-connected photovoltaic-energy storage systems (PV-BESS) under Vietnam's climatic conditions and electricity tariff structure. A detailed simulation framework is developed, incorporating PV generation, battery storage dynamics, inverter efficiency, and grid interaction. An energy management system (EMS) is implemented to coordinate power flows and evaluate three configurations: PV-only, PV+BESS, and PV+BESS with time-of-use (TOU)-based operation. Simulation results show that integrating battery storage significantly improves renewable energy utilization, increasing the self-consumption ratio (SCR) from 0.36 to 0.62 and the self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) from 0.40 to 0.68. The TOU-based strategy enhances operational flexibility by enabling tariffdriven energy shifting; however, it may increase grid import due to scheduled charging during off-peak periods. These findings highlight the trade-off between energy efficiency and economic optimization. Overall, hybrid PVbattery systems with appropriate energy management strategies represent a

Biogas and biomethane are increasingly recognized as renewable energy carriers that can simultaneously support organic waste management, low-carbon fuel production, and circular-economy goals. However, their practical deployment remains limited by inconsistent full-scale performance, mainly due to feedstock heterogeneity, process instability, inhibition risks, gas-quality requirements, upgrading costs, and CH 4 losses across the value chain. This review addresses this problem by critically synthesizing the full biogas and biomethane value chain, from anaerobic digestion fundamentals and reactor stability to gas cleaning, biomethane upgrading, utilization pathways, system integration, and environmental assurance. The review shows that reliable biogas and biomethane deployment depends not only on maximizing CH 4 yield, but also on maintaining stable digestion conditions, selecting appropriate reactor and feedstock-management strategies, matching cleaning and upgrading technologies to end-use requirements, and controlling CH 4 slip and leakage. The analysis further highlights that many reported improvements in co-digestion, pretreatment, and digital monitoring remain difficult to generalize because they are often based on batch, short-term, or laboratory-scale studies rather than longduration full-scale validation. Future research should prioritize standardized CH 4-loss accounting, scalable pretreatment strategies with favorable net-energy performance, robust digital monitoring under real operating conditions, and integrated techno-economic and environmental assessment. The take-home message is that biogas and biomethane should be evaluated as integrated value-chain systems, where climate and energy benefits depend on stable digestion, fit-for-purpose upgrading, effective utilization, and verifiable CH 4-emission control.

ABSTRAK
Pengembangan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS) skala besar melalui program Mentari Nusantara Giga One merupakan salah satu strategi nasional dalam mendukung percepatan transisi energi menuju target Net Zero Emission Indonesia tahun 2060. Wilayah luar Pulau Jawa memiliki potensi energi surya yang besar, namun implementasi proyek PLTS masih menghadapi berbagai tantangan, khususnya terkait kesiapan lahan, akses logistik, dan proses perizinan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis faktor-faktor strategis yang mempengaruhi keberhasilan pengembangan PLTS di luar Pulau Jawa serta memberikan rekomendasi kebijakan yang dapat meningkatkan daya tarik investasi sektor energi baru terbarukan. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode deskriptif kualitatif dengan pendekatan studi literatur dan analisis kebijakan energi nasional. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa keberhasilan proyek PLTS sangat dipengaruhi oleh kesiapan lahan yang legal dan bebas sengketa, infrastruktur logistik yang memadai, kemudahan proses perizinan, dukungan feed-in tariff (FIT), serta kesiapan jaringan transmisi dan battery energy storage system (BESS). Kolaborasi antara pemerintah pusat, pemerintah daerah, PLN, dan investor menjadi faktor utama dalam percepatan implementasi proyek PLTS di wilayah luar Jawa.

Di saat harga minyak mentah global bergolak akibat konflik geopolitik, pemerintahan Prabowo memilih berdiri tegak Pertalite, Biosolar, dan Pertamax dikunci pada harga yang sama hingga akhir 2026. Sebuah keputusan yang menguras kas negara, namun menjaga napas jutaan warga.

The reliability of fossil fuels, long the bedrock of global industrialisation, is facing a profound crisis in 2026. While coal, oil, and gas were historically prized for their energy density and always-on availability, they are now increasingly viewed as sources of systemic instability: geopolitical volatility, economic lock-in, and the physical risks of climate change. The events of 2026 have underscored that fossil fuel reliability is entirely dependent on global political stability.
The ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran have created a volatile political environment in both the G7 economies and emerging/frontier markets. The political fallout is primarily defined by economic strain, the fracturing of traditional alliances, and domestic populist pressure. In the U.S., it is creating electoral and strategic strain. In the EU/UK, the impending stagflation crisis and transatlantic rupture render it to face a more acute crisis, as the continent remains structurally more vulnerable to energy shocks than the U.S. It is struggling to balance its support for Israel and the U.S. with domestic backlash against rising energy costs. A crucial, unintended political consequence of these wars is the strengthening of Russia’s position in the global market.
Ultimately, the confluence of these two wars has accelerated a trend of geopolitical fragmentation. The current state of the global order suggests that we are witnessing a permanent structural transition rather than a temporary reaction to energy shocks. While the wars have acted as violent accelerators, they are symptoms of a deeper multipolarity without multilateralism. The evidence points to foundational shifts that make this fragmentation irreversible in the medium term: the weaponisation of interdependence is manifest in many circles around the globe. The old binary of West vs. East has been replaced by a more complex landscape of middle powers. Another worrying issue is the collapse of global institutions. The paralysis of the UN Security Council and the weakening of the WTO are not temporary.
Against this backdrop, the future of green energy toady has moved past from being a climate initiative to become a national security imperative. The dual shocks of the Ukraine and Iran conflicts have fundamentally altered the pace and purpose of the transition. While the world is struggling to meet the 1.5°C target, the economic and security arguments for renewables have become undeniable.

Keywords: fossil fuels, Ukraine, Iran, Israel and the U.S, Russia, EU/UK, geopolitical fragmentation, multipolarity without multilateralism, green energy.