Fossil Fuels
Analysis at RFF focuses on the development and distribution of fossil fuel resources—including natural gas, liquefied natural gas, coal, and oil—in the United States and abroad, as well as its impacts and their mitigation through regulations.
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Media Highlight — May 26, 2025
Writers on the Range: “Energy Dominance Harms Our Public Lands”
A widely syndicated op-ed read by people across the American West mentions RFF research on the effects of lower royalty rates for oil and gas produced on federal lands.
Report — May 13, 2025
Constraining the Choice Set: Oklahoma’s Limited Approach to Building Economic Resilience
The report presents insights on Oklahoma’s economic resilience strategies, relevant policies, and proposed program enhancements based on a set of interviews with key stakeholders.
Common Resources — May 9, 2025
If/Then: New Cuts to Oil and Gas Royalty Rates in Budget Reconciliation Will Reduce Federal Revenues
Companies may soon pay lower rates to drill oil and gas on publicly owned lands, due to a new legislative proposal, which would cut nearly $5 billion in federal revenues over the next decade and tens of billions thereafter, with similar losses for states.
Media Highlight — Apr 14, 2025
Canary Media: “Why Coal Won’t Solve the Looming Grid-Reliability Crisis”
RFF Senior Fellow Karen Palmer shares her thoughts on the reasons that coal plants retire.
Report — May 13, 2025
Constraining the Choice Set: Oklahoma’s Limited Approach to Building Economic Resilience
The report presents insights on Oklahoma’s economic resilience strategies, relevant policies, and proposed program enhancements based on a set of interviews with key stakeholders.
Report — Apr 7, 2025
Global Energy Outlook 2025: Headwinds and Tailwinds in the Energy Transition
RFF’s annual Global Energy Outlook harmonizes a range of long-term energy projections to find key trends in global energy consumption, emissions, and geopolitics.
Working Paper — Mar 10, 2025
Where Does the Marginal Methane Molecule Come From? Implications of LNG Exports for US Natural Gas Supply and Methane Emissions
This paper examines whether liquefied natural gas is more carbon intensive than coal by expanding a mathematical model to assess the effects of increased US oil and gas exports on gas supply, methane intensity, and domestic prices.
Issue Brief — Mar 4, 2025
Unpacking the Department of Energy’s Report on US Liquefied Natural Gas Exports
This paper examines the Department of Energy's report, alongside analysis from S&P Global, revealing that the department likely underestimates methane emissions and the rising prices driven by increased US LNG exports.
Webinar — Mar 5, 2025
Finding the Right Fit: What Jobs Offer a Good Match for Fossil Fuel Workers' Skills?
A webinar exploring best job matches in terms of skills for fossil fuel workers.
RFF Live — Mar 28, 2023
The Global Energy Outlook 2023: Sowing the Seeds of an Energy Transition
An in-depth panel discussion on some of the potential long-term outlooks for energy markets and the global energy system
RFF Live — Apr 7, 2022
The Global Energy Outlook 2022: Turning Points and Tension in the Energy Transition
An in-depth panel discussion on some of the potential long-term outlooks for energy markets in a year marked by progress and peril
RFF Live — Apr 28, 2021
An Equitable Energy Transition for Workers and Communities
An Equitable Energy Transition for Workers and Communities
Common Resources — May 9, 2025
If/Then: New Cuts to Oil and Gas Royalty Rates in Budget Reconciliation Will Reduce Federal Revenues
Companies may soon pay lower rates to drill oil and gas on publicly owned lands, due to a new legislative proposal, which would cut nearly $5 billion in federal revenues over the next decade and tens of billions thereafter, with similar losses for states.
Resources Radio — Mar 11, 2025
Economic and Environmental Effects of Natural Gas Exports, with Brian C. Prest
Brian C. Prest discusses liquefied natural gas exports from the United States, including the effects of increasing exports on domestic energy prices and methane emissions and the ability of the federal government to influence production.
Common Resources — Apr 17, 2024
After the Pause: Understanding the Economic, Environmental, and Geopolitical Implications of Increased US Liquefied Natural Gas Exports
As the Biden administration temporarily pauses approvals for building new export facilities that transport liquefied natural gas, we’ve assembled a primer on the national and global implications of the US increasing exports of this important fuel.
Resources Radio — Feb 6, 2024
Are Increased Exports of US Liquefied Natural Gas in the Public Interest?, with Ben Cahill
Ben Cahill discusses the Biden administration’s recent decision to pause approvals of new facilities that export liquefied natural gas and arguments for and against increasing US exports of natural gas.
Media Highlight — May 26, 2025
Writers on the Range: “Energy Dominance Harms Our Public Lands”
A widely syndicated op-ed read by people across the American West mentions RFF research on the effects of lower royalty rates for oil and gas produced on federal lands.
Media Highlight — Apr 14, 2025
Canary Media: “Why Coal Won’t Solve the Looming Grid-Reliability Crisis”
RFF Senior Fellow Karen Palmer shares her thoughts on the reasons that coal plants retire.
Media Highlight — Apr 9, 2025
The New York Times: “Five Takeaways from Trump’s Plan to Rescue Coal”
Peer-reviewed research by Joshua Linn and Kristen McCormack is cited in this article about the Trump administration’s recent executive order.
Media Highlight — Apr 8, 2025
Semafor: “LNG Overshoot”
This segment in the Net Zero newsletter discusses the Global Energy Outlook’s findings related to natural gas.