Home - CEEPR CEEPR

Population, Productivity, and Sustainable Consumption

How does the sustainable level of consumption depend on productivity growth and the size and growth rate of the population? What is the effect of uncertainty over these growth rates? A new paper by Professor Robert Pindyck addresses these questions using a model in which productivity and population growth are stochastic, and social welfare allows for human lives to have (positive or negative) intrinsic value.

Sustainable Hydrogen Fuels vs. Fossil Fuels for Trucking, Shipping and Aviation

Potential decarbonization of the global trucking, shipping and aviation sectors could be achieved by replacing fossil fuels with sustainable hydrogen fuels. A new CEEPR Working Paper develops a dynamic cost model and applies it to Norway, considered an early adopter of sustainable transport. In a detailed bottom-up approach, the researchers compile and evaluate cost data to define which components drive future cost along the value chains.

When “Low-Hanging Fruit” Are Beyond Reach: Management Practices and Firm Energy Efficiency

Research shows that firms with sophisticated management systems are on average found to have better economic performance as well as superior social performance. But do structured management practices help firms benefit from an energy efficiency intervention designed to improve both economic and environmental performance? A new Working Paper uses an experiment to answer this question.

Deregulation, Market Power, and Prices: Evidence from the Electricity Sector

A new Working Paper uses a detailed dataset on electricity transactions to investigate the impact of market-based deregulation in the context of the U.S. electricity sector. The introduction of market competition has an important tradeoff: market-based prices can provide incentives to allocate resources more efficiently and reduce costs, but the presence of market power may lead to increased prices for consumers.

Electricity Sector Policy Reforms to Support Efficient Decarbonization

Storage technologies, if efficiently deployed and utilized, can play an important role in maintaining system reliability and controlling system costs in the face of generation intermittency. A new Working Paper considers how alternative regulatory rules and policy regimes will affect the ability of storage to contribute to reliable, cost-effective, and equitable power system and economy-wide decarbonization.

June 15, 2022

Dianne Feinstein: Why I changed my mind about California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear plant

As national debate over nuclear power’s future continues, there are signs that the movement to keep plants open is making some gains. Recently California governor Gavin Newsom discussed potentially delaying the closure of the Diablo Canyon facility, and in this op-ed in the Sacramento Bee, US Senator Feinstein cites a joint Stanford-MIT study that CEEPR Associate Director John Parsons was heavily involved in as one of the key reasons why she now supports extending its operating life.

Learn More

June 14, 2022

Why Gas Prices Are So High

Gas prices in the United States are at record highs. And even when adjusting for inflation, they are on average at levels rarely seen in the last 50 years. In an article on The New York Times discussing how international oil markets and the war in Ukraine are affecting gasoline prices, CEEPR Director Christopher Knittel provides some insight on why the US is producing less oil.

Learn More

May 16, 2022

MITEI Releases The Future of Energy Storage Report

The MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) has just released a significant new research report, The Future of Energy Storage—the culmination of a three-year study exploring the long-term outlook and recommendations for energy storage technology and policy. As the report details, energy storage is a key component in making renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, financially and logistically viable at the scales needed to decarbonize power grids by 2050 and combat climate change.

Learn More

SEE MORE NEWS

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.

Learn More

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.

Learn More

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.

Learn More

SEE MORE PAPERS AND RESEARCH CONTENT