Center for Energy Studies

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The Center for Energy Studies (CES) is mandated to provide energy information and analysis that responds to the needs of the legislature, public agencies, and business and civic groups. Faculty and staff respond regularly to requests from a wide variety of individuals and institutions for specialized energy data and information.

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News

海角社区 Energy Institute Names Tyler Gray Director of Energy Innovation

Tyler Gray

The 海角社区 Energy Institute has named Tyler Gray as its inaugural director of energy innovation, a key leadership role within 海角社区鈥檚 expanding energy research and policy enterprise. Gray鈥檚 appointment marks an important step in 海角社区鈥檚 continued move to align energy-focused units under a single institute to serve Louisiana鈥檚 evolving energy economy.

Gray previously served as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy since the inauguration of Governor Jeff Landry. During his tenure in the Governor鈥檚 cabinet, Gray spearheaded efforts to modernize Louisiana鈥檚 energy and natural resource governance. His move to 海角社区 reinforces a shared commitment between higher education, industry, and government to connect scholarly research with practical implementation.

鈥淯nder my administration, we鈥檝e modernized how Louisiana manages energy and natural resources鈥攃lear roles, better oversight, and a stronger foundation鈥攁nd Tyler was central to that effort,鈥� Governor Jeff Landry said. 鈥淗is move to the Energy Institute will continue building a cohesive, trusted pipeline from research to execution so projects are safe, technically sound, and delivered with confidence. I鈥檓 asking everyone鈥攊ndustry, higher education, and agencies鈥攖o row in the same direction. One team. This is an opportunity to align talent and research to Louisiana鈥檚 needs and move faster on the projects that matter to families across our state.鈥�

Read the full Press Release.

Center Releases White Paper on Orphan and Idle Wells in Louisiana

Gregory B. Upton Jr., 海角社区 Center for Energy Studies; Mark Agerton, UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics; Ipsita Gupta, 海角社区 Department of Petroleum Engineering; Kanchan Maiti, 海角社区 Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences; Siddhartha Narra, 海角社区 Center for Energy Studies; Brian Snyder, 海角社区 Department of Environmental Sciences; and Joanna Walker, 海角社区 Center for Energy Studies, have co-authored a report titled "Orphan and Idle Wells in Louisiana," published in July 2025.

Researchers at 海角社区 were tasked by the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) to estimate the costs of plugging orphan and idle wells and assess methane emissions from orphan wells. This report provides background on the Louisiana Oilfield Site Restoration (OSR) program created in 1993 and estimates the total cost to plug orphan and idle wells. In 2023, the OSR Program鈥檚 efforts were augmented by federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which allocated $4.7 billion for orphan well site plugging, remediation, and restoration across the U.S. Louisiana has received an initial $25 million grant and anticipates receiving approximately $156 million in additional grant funds over the next several years.

Center Releases White Paper on the Production and Potential for Biofuels in Louisiana

Biofuel Landscape in Louisiana White Paper

Center for Energy Studies Assistant Professor of Research, Dr. Anurag Mandalika, has authored a white paper titled, 鈥淭he Biofuels Landscape in Louisiana鈥�.

This paper discusses biomass types and availability in the state, drawing from an analysis of the US Department of Energy鈥檚 Billion Ton 23 report, followed by an assessment of current and potential future biofuels production in Louisiana. Louisiana leads the nation in the production of renewable diesel, and biofuels contribute ~4.2% to primary energy production in the state. Deployment of announced biofuels projects has the potential to increase this contribution to ~9.2%. Production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is likely to see an increase in the state with several project announcements focusing on this fuel.

Center Announces Launch of Louisiana Energy News Online Resource

The Center is pleased to announce the launch of a new online application 鈥� the Louisiana Energy News. This tool was developed in response to Act 727 of the 2024 Regular Legislative Session, which calls upon CES, in cooperation with the Office of Energy within the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources, to create and maintain a central, comprehensive, and unified energy data and information program for the state. This online resource centralizes historical energy sector news, providing a comprehensive view of developments shaping our state's energy landscape and receives daily updates to ensure stakeholders have timely access to important information.

Access the Louisiana Energy News online application .

Center Releases White Paper on Potential for Hydrogen in Louisiana

Dr. Anurag Mandalika, Assistant Professor of Research at the Center for Energy Studies, and Dr. Greg Upton Jr., Executive Director and Associate Professor of Research, along with Dr. Brian Snyder, Professor of Environmental Science, and Dr. John Flake, Professor of Chemical Engineering, at 海角社区 have co-authored a white paper titled "The Potential for Hydrogen in Louisiana.鈥�

This paper discusses the different types of hydrogen, their production processes, and current and potential future uses in Louisiana while considering its potential as a low-carbon emission fuel. Low carbon or 鈥渃lean hydrogen鈥� is the focus of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Section 45V production tax credit which has led to additional interest in hydrogen production in Louisiana.

The Greater New Orleans Development Foundation (GNODF) commissioned 海角社区-CES to study the potential for hydrogen consumption in Louisiana through the H2theFuture initiative.

Center Releases White Paper on Economic Implications of Offshore Wind Scenarios

offshore turbines Center for Energy Studies Executive Director Dr. Greg Upton, Jr., and Research Fellow Gregory Albrecht, in partnership with Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum, have prepared a white paper titled 鈥淧otential Economic Implications of Offshore Wind for the U.S. Economy.鈥� The paper considers the economic implications of two potential U.S. offshore wind build-out scenarios, the 2023 Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) projection and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) projection, including job creation and GDP. The economic impact analysis of both scenarios indicates that development of the industry could support a substantial number of jobs, earnings, and overall domestic product within the U.S., during construction itself and from operations of the built-out capacity.