Hydrogen is emerging as a critical component in the global energy transition, providing a low-carbon alternative for sectors such as industry and transportation. This paper aims to comprehensively address water usage in hydrogen production by exploring the water demands of different production methods and their implications for water management, particularly in Texas. Key variables influencing water consumption are identified, and potential water demands under different hydrogen market scenarios are estimated. Using spatial analysis, regions where hydrogen production may stress local water resources are identified, alongside policy recommendations for sustainable water use.

As carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies mature, the concept of a low-carbon or net-zero-carbon economy becomes more and more feasible. While many chemical and energy products do not contain carbon in their compounds, the upstream production process does. An added CCS module allows the removal of carbon emissions from the production process, which expands the value chain. This paper focuses on one of such commodities—low-carbon-intensity ammonia (LCIA). Even though ammonia is carbon-free in its final product, it is commonly made from natural gas, and the production process could generate significant carbon emissions. The idea of LCIA is to reduce the carbon footprint of the ammonia production process (e.g., blue ammonia) or eliminate carbon from the production process (e.g., green ammonia via electrolysis) so that the entire supply chain is decarbonized. The goal of this paper is two-fold. We first explore the US domestic market and the international market for LCIA. We then discuss relevant federal and local policies that could help grow markets for LCIA. The agricultural sector will be the center of the discussion, which consumes an estimated 70–90% of the global ammonia supply as fertilizers. The paper also examines other potential uses of LCIA, such as alternative fuels for decarbonizing agricultural machinery and transportation sectors. Finally, we argue that developing a comprehensive LCIA value chain, supported by dedicated policy measures and broad stakeholder engagement, is critical for materializing the potential of LCIA in contributing to a climate-resilient and sustainable economy.

Ammonia production is a significant source of carbon emissions globally, particularly in the agricultural sector, where it is extensively used as a fertilizer. This research suggests a potential avenue to reduce the carbon footprint of corn production for biofuels in the US Corn Belt. Conventional methods of producing nitrogenous fertilizers derived from ammonia are responsible for the highest CO2 emissions in the life cycle of corn production. We estimate that the total CO2 emissions can be reduced from 3.09 kg CO2 to 2.07 kg CO2 per bushel of corn (33% reduction) when conventional ammonia is replaced with green ammonia. If conventional ammonia is replaced with blue ammonia with carbon capture and storage, the total CO2 emissions can be reduced from 3.09 kg CO2 to 2.27 kg CO2 per bushel of corn (26% reduction). Despite these environmental benefits, our economic analysis reveals that even with policy incentives such as the 45Q and 45V tax credits, low-carbon-intensity ammonia is not yet cost-competitive with conventional ammonia. Renewable (green) ammonia, for instance, remains significantly more expensive at $532 (2024 US Dollar) per metric ton with 45V incentives compared to conventional ammonia at $249 per metric ton. Blue ammonia, even with the 45Q credit, costs $289 per metric ton—still higher than conventional ammonia. However, when a tiered carbon tax of $85 per ton of CO2 is applied to conventional ammonia, raising its cost to $326 per metric ton, blue ammonia becomes cost-competitive, but green ammonia still lags behind. This highlights the need for carbon pricing policies to enable the shift toward lower-carbon ammonia production, as tax credits alone are insufficient to close the cost gap.

Do differentiated policies encourage higher voter turnout than centrist policies? This paper uses the citizen-candidate model and group-based utilitarian approach of costly voting to study how political polarization affects voter turnout under positive voting costs. Two parties enter the electoral competition with a pre-commitment on the platforms, and the winner implements their ideal policy. Comparative statics results demonstrate that under positive voting costs, the expected turnout is always positive in the presence of political polarization and is only zero when the policies converge. In addition, the expected turnout rises with increased polarization and decreases with voting costs. This study exhaustively demonstrates that positive voter turnout is feasible only when policy differentiation exists.

This study develops a geospatial, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework to evaluate hydrogen infrastructure suitability while explicitly integrating geological hazards alongside infrastructure, storage, and demand considerations. Using Texas as a case study, we combine earthquake data from TexNet, wildfire risk data from FEMA, and spatial datasets representing hydrogen production proxies, transportation infrastructure, geological storage potential, and demand centers within a GIS-based weighted overlay framework.Suitability layers are standardized using ordinal scoring and aggregated under multiplescenario-based weighting schemes reflecting alternative planning priorities. Results demonstrate that including earthquake and wildfire hazards materially alter regional suitability patterns, even when hazards receive relatively low weights. Comparisons between hazard-inclusive and hazard-excluded scenarios show that infrastructure-only approaches tend to overstate suitability in certain regions, while hazard-aware scenarios introduce greater spatial differentiation. Sensitivity analyses further reveal that regional rankings are highly dependent on planning objectives, particularly the relative emphasis placed on storage potential, transport access, and demand proximity. The proposed methodology provides a transparent and transferable tool to support risk-informed hydrogen development and long-term infrastructure resilience in Texas and other emerging hydrogen regions.