Research Scope

What AER studies

AER’s research spans the full energy value chain and the broader systems that surround it. Programs are organised but intentionally flexible so they can respond to real questions from countries, communities and partners. Each program defines priority questions, preferred methods and typical outputs. Volunteers and funded researchers work within these structures while retaining space for originality and critical thinking.

Six Core Research Programs

Upstream and Gas Systems

This program focuses on oil and gas fields, licensing regimes, basin dynamics, associated and non-associated gas, flare sources and midstream gas infrastructure. Typical work includes:

  • Field and licence profiles.
  • Gas resource and utilisation mapping.
  • Flare and methane screening.
  • Case notes on development options and constraints.
  • Comparative views of fiscal terms and economics.

Power and Grids

This program examines the behaviour of power systems: generation fleets, transmission constraints, distribution networks and cross-border interconnections. Typical work includes:

  • Country power system snapshots.
  • Reliability, loss and outage profiling.
  • Dispatch and generation mix analysis.
  • Case studies on regional power trade and integration.

Renewables & Distributed Energy

This program covers utility-scale and distributed renewable projects, as well as hybrid systems. Typical work includes:

  • Project profiles for solar, wind, hydro and geothermal assets.
  • Mini-grid and commercial and industrial (C&I) case studies.
  • Economics of storage and flexibility.
  • Comparative assessments of off-grid and grid-connected solutions.

Energy Access & Social Outcomes

This program looks at how households, communities and sectors experience energy systems. Typical work includes:

  • Access and affordability profiles by country or region.
  • Mapping energy inequality between urban and rural areas.
  • Clean cooking transitions and fuel stacking analysis.
  • Studies of links between energy, health, education and livelihoods.

Emissions & Environmental Impact

This program investigates greenhouse gas emissions, local pollutants and broader environmental impacts. Typical work includes:

  • Emission source mapping and estimation.
  • Flare and methane reduction opportunities.
  • Case reviews of environmental compliance and enforcement.
  • Analysis of trade-offs between different energy pathways.

Policy, Economics and Regulation

This program focuses on the rules and incentives that shape investment and operations. Typical work includes:

  • Tariff and pricing structures.
  • Fiscal regimes and licensing terms.
  • Subsidy design and reform.
  • Market design and competition.
  • Public finance and private capital flows.

Cross-cutting initiatives

  • National energy transition profiles.
  • Flare and methane abatement portfolios.
  • Energy access and inequality dashboards.
  • Infrastructure bottleneck assessments.
  • Financing structures for strategic projects.

How research is produced

Research under these programs follows a consistent workflow:

See how neutrality is protected →

1. Priority questions and briefs are defined.

2. Volunteer teams and funded researchers are matched to briefs.

3. Data is collected, cleaned and tested.

4. Methods and assumptions are documented.

5. Drafts are reviewed internally for quality and neutrality.

6. Final outputs are released as Insights or technical notes.