Anne Menefee

Research Summary

Anne Menefee's research is broadly focused on advancing sustainable energy and carbon management systems. Much of this work targets subsurface systems that can be engineered for low-carbon energy production and carbon sequestration, which are indispensable to avert the worst impacts of climate change. At a fundamental level, she is working to understand how geochemical reactions impact fracture stability and propagation in stressed geologic systems, with applications to mineral scale prevention and emerging CO₂-enhanced energy recovery technologies in tight reservoirs. At a systems level, her work evaluates the life cycle environmental implications of emerging technologies that can both curb net emissions and prove self-sustaining in the market. In combination, the results of this work advance our understanding of complex subsurface phenomena and inform optimal approaches to decarbonize the energy sector.