Although various factors were blamed for the extended power outage on the ERCOT electricity grid in February 2021, no single problem fully explains the calamity. All forms of generation experienced capacity deratings, but failure to identify and address risks along fuel supply chains was a major contributor. Moreover, most proposed remedies do not fundamentally address…
2023
Book Reviews
The (indirect) Effects of Windfall Funds on Sustainability Behavior: Insights for Carbon Fee Dividends
Motivated by proposed Carbon Dividend legislation in the U.S., we test the impacts of a monetary windfall on sustainability behavior under information conditions about the source of the funds. We find that windfall funds, particularly when presented as a refund, positively impact stated intent to engage in transportation-related sustainable behaviors. Evidence suggests that participants are…
Do Investments in Clean Technologies Reduce Production Costs? Insights from the Literature
In response to growing environmental concerns, governments have encouraged innovation and adoption of green or clean technologies through various policy measures. At present more than half a trillion US$ is being invested annually in clean technologies. This study analyzes if investments in clean technologies increase productivity and reduce production costs based on the existing literature….
Household Environmental Kuznets Curves: Evidence from Passenger Transport Emissions
This paper uses detailed survey microdata to test whether a non-monotonic relationship exists between income and carbon dioxide emissions at the household level for passenger transport in the United States. Although the literature on economy-wide Environmental Kuznets Curves (EKCs) is vast, sector-specific analysis of household transport emissions is less common, is subject to considerable controversy,…
Differential Impact of COVID-19 on the Energy Consumption of Residential and Business Sectors
As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, some patterns of energy consumption changed in the residential and non-residential sectors. This paper uses data from a local utility company in Florida to quantify the heterogeneous impacts of the pandemic on electricity and natural gas consumption across households from different income levels and across essential and non-essential…
Marginal Emissions Pathways: Drivers and Implications
Governments frequently use policies that target the expansion of a clean technology to achieve greenhouse gas emissions mitigation goals, such as those submitted by countries under the Paris Agreement. As a result of direct and indirect market adjustments induced by a particular policy, marginal emissions from expanding a clean technology may vary in the amount…
What happened in Texas? Understanding the February 2021 blackouts and learning lessons to prepare the grid for extreme weather events: An introduction
From Diesel to Electric: Overcoming Grid Integration Challenges in the Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Sector
Decarbonizing the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) sector is crucial for a sustainable clean energy transition. This paper focuses on the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles (MHD EVs) into the electric grid. With large trucks and buses being responsible for a significant share of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, the…
Who Knows What: Information Barriers to Efficient DER Roll-out in the U.S.
Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) are increasingly popular. Their relevance to the functioning of energy systems and emissions reduction has spurred a flurry of policy discussions and research into the measures needed to facilitate integration of these resources. However, the majority of that work focuses on systems characterized by complete and perfect information, while in reality,…