CEEPR

Why Do Firms Issue Green Bonds?

Environmental economists often point out that well-intentioned initiatives need not be effective. Green bonds are likely to be the opposite: They may well be environmentally effective, but their success is probably driven by the short-termism of managers, which is usually viewed as hindering sustainability. Yet green bonds are not substitute to carbon penalties. A new CEEPR Working Paper suggests that green bonds can only amplify the impact of existing carbon penalties, and do not work in their absence.

Large Scale Wind Power Investment’s Impact on Wholesale Electricity Markets

Renewable subsidies are an influential device for wind power investment. These policies help lower emissions by offsetting high-emitting electricity generation with clean energy. This CEEPR Working Paper quantifies the offset and revenue impact of large-scale wind power investment in a wholesale electricity market and applies it to study the South Australian Electricity Market.

Global Externalities, Local Policies, and Firm Selection

How to fight global problems with local tools? When only firms know what externality-producing activities can be relocated, policies shape the location distribution of firm types with different social values. A new Working Paper finds that, because of this selection effect, the optimal local policies confront firms’ mobility with elevated corrective externality prices, in contrast with the common remedies for the relocation risk.

The Value of Nuclear Microreactors in Providing Heat and Electricity to Alaskan Communities

A nuclear microreactor may be a cost competitive option for certain Alaskan communities. A new Working Paper finds that three factors dominate the calculation: (i) access to natural gas, (ii) the size of the heat load and the accessibility of a district heating network, and (iii) the importance of emission reductions.

Electricity Price Distributions in Future Renewables-Dominant Power Grids and Policy Implications

Future electricity systems with constraints on carbon emissions will rely more on wind and solar generation, with zero marginal cost, than today. In this CEEPR Working Paper, we use capacity expansion modelling of Texas in 2050 to illustrate wholesale price distributions in future energy-only, carbon-constrained grids without price caps under a range of technology/system assumptions.

January 19, 2022

Bringing climate reporting to local newsrooms

CEEPR participates in inaugural MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative Journalism Fellows Program and provides ESI Fellows with access to the Center's policy experts and working papers. Learn more about this collaboration in an article on MIT News.

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January 12, 2022

MITEI appoints Professor Christopher Knittel as deputy director for policy

Christopher Knittel has held a number of titles at MIT: George P. Shultz Professor of Energy Economics … Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research … Co-Director of the Low-Carbon Energy Center for Electric Power Systems. Now he adds another: Deputy Director for Policy at MITEI.

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January 5, 2022

Open Course: Energy Economics and Policy with CEEPR Director Christopher Knittel

Over 12 weeks starting on Jan. 18, learn the economics of real-world energy markets, and how various policies can address the impact of rising global energy demand on the environment and climate in this online class taught by Professor Christopher Knittel. Enroll for this course on edX.org.

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The Roosevelt Project

The Roosevelt Project takes a multidisciplinary approach to examine the transitional challenges associated with progress toward a deeply decarbonized U.S. economy. The project aims to chart a path forward through the transition that minimizes worker and community dislocations and enables at-risk communities to sustain employment levels by taking advantage of the economic opportunities present for regional economic development.

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The CATE Project

The Climate Action Through Education Project aims to develop a science-based climate curriculum for U.S high school students, placing particular emphasis on reaching populations who are underserved and on countering climate denial messages. The curriculum will inform students about the causes and consequences of anthropogenic climate change, while equipping them with the knowledge and sense of agency to contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation.

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The E2e Project

Through an interdisciplinary approach to the so-called ‘energy efficiency gap’, the E2e Project seeks to evaluate and strengthen policies and incentives for improved energy efficiency. Proven research designs used to achieve these aims include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental designs, with data and customer access provided through formal partnerships with private-sector companies.

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