Welcome to the
Center for Rural Energy Security
About CRES
The University of Missouri launched the Center for Rural Energy Security (CRES) to lead national energy research from a Midwestern perspective—focusing on how federal and state energy policies and technology innovations affect rural communities, agriculture, and economic growth across the nation. CRES conducts independent, non-partisan research and analysis to inform decision makers and policy experts on rural energy security matters.
Who We Are
We can't do our work without a strong team of scholars, researchers, and support staff. Learn more about our team.
What We Do
CRES's mission is to generate scientifically sound, objective research that informs policymakers, regulators, and rural stakeholders on emerging energy issues.
News
Check out the latest news regarding CRES, our research team, research reports, policy analyses, and other rural energy updates.
CRES News Spotlight
Nov. 8, 2026
CRES Faculty Affiliate Spotlight: Victor McFarland
CRES Affiliated Scholar Victor McFarland, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of History at the University of Missouri Columbia, recently sat down with Senior Strategic Communications Consultant John Fougere to discuss his professional path and what motivates him as a researcher. 1.) What led you to pursue a career in higher education and more specifically, to become a researcher in areas like energy, the environment, and U.S. relations with the Middle East? I always loved studying history, and I wanted to keep doing it as long as anyone would let me! That led…
Nov. 3, 2026
Developing the next generation of energy policy scholars and analysts is another important feature of the CRES mission
It is the weekly meeting of the leadership of the Center for Rural Energy Security (CRES) with some of the most important members of its team – graduate students at the University of Missouri who are conducting research for the institute as part of their studies at the university. Sofia Baker, a Columbia, Missouri native who is pursuing a PhD in Economics, is detailing her work on a zoning and permitting survey she is conducting that is an important tool in determining what trade-offs are involved with increasing and decreasing regulation. “The most important thing about the…
Sep. 29, 2026
Powering Rural Prosperity
(This story appeared in the October 2026 issue of Public Utilities Fortnightly) It has been a long-standing, critical debate across rural America. In an era when the increasing needs for energy production and the infrastructure supporting it continues to spike across the country, what effect do hyper scale renewable energy projects have – economically, environmentally, and culturally – on the rural communities where most such projects are located? According to the first research study released by the Center for Rural Energy Security (CRES), a new think tank established in 2025 at the University of Missouri, Columbia,…