Taxing new plastic is the cheapest way to address its environmental impact
In an Op-Ed on TheHill, Professor Christopher Knittel discusses the plastic pollution problem and how a tax on new plastics may help reduce its' added environmental cost.
Policies for Electrifying the Light-Duty Vehicle Fleet in the United States
The decarbonization of the light-duty vehicle (LDV) fleet in the United States is an important policy priority for the coming decades. The Biden Administration has declared a target of 50% new vehicle sales in 2030 comprising zero-emissions vehicles. A new CEEPR Working Paper investigates the potential for government policy to accelerate the transition of the LDV fleet to electric vehicles.
Intermittent versus Dispatchable Power Sources: An Integrated Competitive Assessment
The cost and revenue earnings potential of alternative power generation sources has shifted considerably in recent years. In this new Working Paper, the authors introduce the concept of Levelized Profit Margins (LPM) to capture the changing unit economics of both intermittent and dispatchable generation technologies.
Water for a Warming Climate
California has a pressing need for additional sustainable fresh water supplies. This report explores the feasibility and economic benefits of co-locating a large seawater desalination plant at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant to supply potable water to the state. This arrangement integrates the two facilities by sharing infrastructure, forming a water-power coproduction system.
Challenges and Opportunities for Decarbonizing Power Systems in the US Midcontinent
In this paper, the authors assess options for rapid decarbonization of the power system with a focus on coal-reliant states across the midcontinent, where a diversity of entities share responsibility for maintaining a reliable and affordable supply of electricity.
Facilitating Transmission Expansion to Support Efficient Decarbonization of the Electricity Sector
Many studies have found that achieving decarbonization targets in a cost-efficient manner will require significant investments in new transmission capacity. However, there are numerous barriers that go beyond “NIMBY” opposition. These barriers are identified and potential reforms to reducing them are discussed in this Working Paper.
In The News
Sep 29, 2021
NBER appoints new co-directors of the EEE Program
Meredith Fowlie and Christopher Knittel have been appointed as co-directors of the National Bureau of Economic Research's Environment and Energy Economics Program - visit their page here.
Sep 1, 2021
How to Reach 50 percent Zero-emission Vehicles
The transition to EVs is within grasp, if it is supported by the right mix of policies. Prof. Knittel and two co-authors propose policies that Congress can adopt to meet this 50% goal by 2030.
Aug 6, 2021
Rust? Trains? Why clean energy is turning to exotic ideas to fix its storage problem
An article on NBCnews looks at storage solutions, such as Form Energy's iron-air battery technology, and asks CEEPR Director Christopher Knittel for his thoughts on grid-scale storage options.
Jun 21, 2021
From Hierarchies to Markets and Partially Back Again in Electricity
Many electricity sectors are now pursuing deep decarbonization goals which will entail replacing dispatchable fossil generation primarily with intermittent renewable generation over the next 20-30...
Jun 15, 2021
Taxes, Oil Prices And Why We're All Quitting Our Jobs: Indicators Of The Week
In an episode of NPR's Planet Money podcast series, Director Christopher Knittel discusses the current state of oil prices.
Jun 1, 2021
Energy Conversion and Storage: The Value of Reversible Power-to-Gas Systems
Power-to-Gas technology has recently seen falling acquisition costs and lower conversion efficiency losses. In a new Working Paper, the authors examine the economic potential of reversible...
May 19, 2021
MIT CEEPR Research on Carbon Pricing Cited in Congressional Hearing
Congressman Scott H. Peters highlights CEEPR study on the benefits of including carbon pricing in a climate policy portfolio.