Uncategorized Archives

Designing Second-Best Price Zones in Electricity Markets

Posted on June 22nd, 2026 by Tony Tran

Electricity Markets in North America More than two-thirds of electricity in North America is traded in deregulated wholesale markets. These […]

From Least-cost Plans to Implementable Electrification: A Regulatory–Financial Framework to Achieve Universal Access

Posted on June 3rd, 2026 by Tony Tran

Universal electricity access remains a development priority and a climate enabler. Yet the global trajectory still falls short. IEA projections […]

How Uncertainty Shapes Electricity Storage Decisions

Posted on June 1st, 2026 by Tony Tran

Electricity storage can serve the electric grid in a variety of ways. Historically, it has enabled utilities to exploit of […]

Who Bears the Burden of Climate Inaction?

Posted on May 6th, 2026 by Tony Tran

Climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is already imposing substantial and uneven costs on U.S. households. A new […]

The Differential Impacts of Critical Mineral Prices and Oil Prices on the Economy

Posted on April 14th, 2026 by Tony Tran

As global economies increasingly shift towards electrification and low-carbon energy, understanding the impact of critical mineral price shocks compared to […]

Renewables and Electricity Affordability: Untangling Correlation from Causation

Posted on March 3rd, 2026 by Tony Tran

Energy prices nationwide have been rising at roughly twice the rate of inflation. Many observers link this trend to the […]

Beyond the Early Era of EVs

Posted on February 24th, 2026 by Tony Tran

Electric vehicles (EVs) have played a central role in climate and transportation policy efforts, yet many drivers still face practical […]

Is Fusion Too Late? How Investors Value its Role in a Decarbonized Europe

Posted on February 11th, 2026 by Tony Tran

Fusion power has long been hailed as a transformative technology capable of delivering virtually limitless, carbon-free electricity (Armstrong et al. […]

In Memoriam: Loren C. Cox
(1938-2025)

Posted on January 20th, 2026 by Tony Tran

It is with profound sadness that the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR) remembers Loren C. Cox, […]

A Country-Level Study of Exposure to Battery Price Fluctuations through Trade Networks

Posted on January 12th, 2026 by Tony Tran

The global transition to clean energy depends heavily on lithium-ion batteries, which power electric vehicles, renewable energy storage, and consumer […]

Endogenous Green Preferences and Opinion Dynamics in the Low-Carbon Transition

Posted on November 12th, 2025 by Tony Tran

The transition towards greener and more environmentally sustainable business models has gained significant traction among companies in recent decades. Green […]

MIT/Harvard Roosevelt Project Releases Synthesis Report on U.S. Energy Transition Challenges

Posted on October 31st, 2025 by Tony Tran

Findings from the latest project phase highlight strategies for a just and competitive transition in steel, critical minerals, and the […]

Flexible Data Centers and the Grid: Lower Costs, Higher Emissions?

Posted on October 29th, 2025 by Tony Tran

Data centers are among the fastest-growing electricity consumers, with their energy demand projected to increase over the coming years. In […]

Flexible data centers can reduce costs — if not emissions

Posted on October 20th, 2025 by Tony Tran

An article on MIT Sloan’s Ideas Made to Matter site features a recent CEEPR Working Paper. Data center flexibility — […]

An Informational Nudge to Shave Peak Demand

Posted on October 20th, 2025 by Tony Tran

In New England, ISO New England (ISO-NE) is responsible for operating wholesale power markets and ensuring adequate capacity to serve […]

In the Vortex of Great Power Competition: Climate, Trade, and Geostrategic Rivalry in U.S.–China–EU Relations

Posted on September 30th, 2025 by Tony Tran

Geopolitical tensions increasingly threaten global climate cooperation. Great power competition between the United States, the European Union, and China complicates […]

From Tank to Odometer: Winners and Losers from a Gas-to-VMT Tax Shift

Posted on September 16th, 2025 by Tony Tran

The design of transportation taxation has long been a critical issue in public finance, with policymakers seeking systems that are […]

Firm Presence, Pollution, and Agglomeration

Posted on August 27th, 2025 by Tony Tran

Firm location decisions are one of the most important choices managers make, optimizing factors such as proximity to customers, suppliers, […]

Household-Level Responses to the European Energy Crisis

Posted on July 31st, 2025 by Tony Tran

Figure 1. Mean electricity contract prices in Finland. High energy prices—driven by supply disruptions, renewable energy intermittency, and climate policies—have […]

Addressing Uncertainty in the Joint Production of Energy Transition Metals

Posted on July 16th, 2025 by Tony Tran

The global shift towards clean energy and decarbonization has led to a significant increase in demand for critical raw materials […]

The Dynamics of Evasion: The Price Cap on Russian Oil Exports and the Amassing of the Shadow Fleet

Posted on June 4th, 2025 by Tony Tran

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU, the US, and other G-7 countries (hereafter the […]

Good Spillover, Bad Spillover? Industrial Policy, Trade, and the Political Economy of Decarbonization

Posted on April 8th, 2025 by Tony Tran

Empirical research suggests that spillover effects frequently exceed the intended impacts of policy decisions. Knowledge and technology spillovers of early […]

Can Coastal states meet their clean energy needs without offshore wind?

Posted on February 12th, 2025 by Tony Tran

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting new leases for offshore wind power. This effectively […]

Climate Policy and Cartelization Risk for Critical Minerals: An Application to the Copper Market

Posted on December 23rd, 2024 by Tony Tran

Global demand for key minerals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, and Rare Earth Elements (REEs), crucial for advancing green technologies, […]

Challenges to Expanding EV Adoption and Policy Responses

Posted on November 18th, 2024 by Tony Tran

Electric vehicles (EVs) offer a vital solution in global efforts to combat climate change, especially as the transportation sector accounts […]

Choosing Climate Policies in a Second-best World with Incomplete Markets

Posted on October 2nd, 2024 by Tony Tran

The U.S. government relies on investment tax credits to increase private-sector investment in renewable energy. Other governments, as well as […]

Bridging the Gaps: The Impact of Interregional Transmission on Emissions and Reliability

Posted on September 17th, 2024 by Tony Tran

One of the dramatic changes to the energy landscape over the last decade has been the substantial decline in the […]

The Impact of Financing Structures on the Cost of CO2 Transport

Posted on September 4th, 2024 by Tony Tran

According to decarbonization pathways, carbon capture and storage (CCS) forms a core part of the mitigation technology portfolio for energy-intensive […]

Optimizing Mineral Extraction and Processing for the Energy Transition

Posted on July 25th, 2024 by Tony Tran

Efficient extraction and processing of ores into metals are fundamental to several clean energy transition technologies. Metals such as copper, […]

Shedding Light on Green Claims

Posted on July 10th, 2024 by Tony Tran

With the intensifying global focus on fighting climate change, more consumers are turning to green energy, often verified through energy […]

Can Federal Grid Reforms Solve the Interconnection Problem?

Posted on July 5th, 2024 by Tony Tran

Although energy production from wind and solar has grown rapidly in the United States, its integration into the national electric […]

EU and US Approaches to Address Energy Poverty: Classifying and Evaluating Design Strategies

Posted on June 25th, 2024 by Tony Tran

As climate change continues to worsen and cause more extreme temperature fluctuations and weather events, access to sufficient energy services […]

Crossed Wires: A Salata Institute – Roosevelt Project Study

Posted on June 11th, 2024 by Tony Tran

A new Salata Institute-Roosevelt Project study has been released that examines the regulatory, political, and social factors that shape long-distance […]

The Next Front in the War Against Climate Change

Posted on May 24th, 2024 by Tony Tran

Clean-energy investment in America is off the charts—but it still isn’t translating into enough electricity that people can actually use. […]

Bridging the Divide: Assessing the Viability of International Cooperation on Border Carbon Adjustments

Posted on April 24th, 2024 by Tony Tran

Trade-Climate Cooperation at the Crossroads Recent years have witnessed the emergence of a broad range of multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral […]

MIT Sloan’s Climate Catalysts Thrive on Collaboration

Posted on April 22nd, 2024 by Tony Tran

“MIT is never better than when we come together to solve big problems,” said MIT President Sally Kornbluth in a […]

Understanding the
Future of Critical Raw Materials
for the Energy Transition

Posted on April 2nd, 2024 by Tony Tran

The energy transition stands as a cornerstone in fighting climate change and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. This challenge requires […]

A Supply Curve for
Forest-Based CO2 Removal

Posted on March 20th, 2024 by Tony Tran

Global CO2 emissions are continuing to rise. That may eventually change, but even with a substantial decline in emissions, the […]

Designing Distribution Network Tariffs Under Increased Residential End-user Electrification

Posted on February 12th, 2024 by Tony Tran

In almost all US states, electric utilities have been recovering distribution costs, along with electricity supply costs, from residential and […]

The Expansion of Incentive (Performance Based) Regulation of Electricity Distribution and Transmission

Posted on February 6th, 2024 by Tony Tran

Incentive regulation mechanisms have been applied for many years to the regulation of electric utilities in countries other than the […]

The Clean Investment Monitor Releases Q3 2023 Update Report

Posted on December 12th, 2023 by Tony Tran

Below a message from our Institute Innovation Fellow, Brian Deese: Dear Colleague, Three months ago, we launched the Clean […]

Implications of the IRA
on Deployment of Low-Carbon
Ammonia Technologies

Posted on December 4th, 2023 by Tony Tran

Ammonia is a pivotal energy vector in the ongoing global energy transition, serving as a versatile feedstock and a prospective […]

Designing Incentive
Regulation in the
Electricity Sector

Posted on December 1st, 2023 by Tony Tran

Competition compels industry suppliers to serve the best interests of consumers in many sectors of the economy. Intense competition to […]

Consequences of the Missing Risk Market Problem for Power System Emissions

Posted on November 6th, 2023 by Tony Tran

Climate policy goals call for substantial investments in low-carbon generation and storage technologies. Whether such investments materialize will depend in […]

Improving Predictability of Wind Power Generation Using Empirical Data

Posted on September 26th, 2023 by Tony Tran

Wind electricity generation grew exponentially in the past two decades from 6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2000 to 380 billion […]

Economic Implications of the Climate Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act

Posted on September 14th, 2023 by Tony Tran

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) represents the largest federal response to climate change to date. The problem IRA confronts is […]

Sustainability Analytics:
Meeting Carbon Commitments
Most Efficiently

Posted on September 7th, 2023 by Tony Tran

What makes a sustainable company a sustainable company? More and more companies are setting seemingly ambitious net-zero targets for their […]

How Grid Reinforcement Costs Differ by the Income of EV User Groups

Posted on July 27th, 2023 by Tony Tran

With tightening carbon emission regulations in the transportation sector, more and more consumers are switching to electric vehicles (EVs). However, […]

Cost-Efficient Pathways to Decarbonize Portland Cement Production

Posted on July 7th, 2023 by Tony Tran

In the discussion surrounding the timely transition to a net-zero economy, commentators frequently point to the obstacles of reducing the […]

Climate Impacts of
Bitcoin Mining in the U.S.

Posted on June 13th, 2023 by Tony Tran

Bitcoin mining is renowned for its energy intensity. As of March 25th, 2023, Bitcoin miners’ power demand amounts to 15.4 […]

Redistribution Through Technology: Equilibrium Impacts of Mandated Efficiency in Three Electricity Markets

Posted on April 25th, 2023 by Tony Tran

New technologies offer captivating opportunities to trade and improve efficiency in markets, illustrations ranging from ICT to smart technologies for […]

Advances in Power-to-Gas Technologies: Cost and Conversion Efficiency

Posted on April 12th, 2023 by Tony Tran

In the intensifying debate about alternative pathways for rapid decarbonization, hydrogen is increasingly viewed as a critical building block for […]

Impacts of Rainfall Shocks on Out-migration in Türkiye

Posted on March 22nd, 2023 by Tony Tran

Migration decisions are increasingly studied as an adaptation response to climate change and empirical evidence is important to quantify its […]

The Role of State Investment Banks for Renewable Energy Technologies in OECD Countries

Posted on March 15th, 2023 by Tony Tran

State investment banks (SIBs), i.e., publicly funded financial institutions with a domestic focus, exist in nearly all OECD member countries […]

Exploring a Suitable Business Model for Nuclear Batteries

Posted on March 8th, 2023 by Tony Tran

A nuclear battery is a stand-alone, plug-and-play energy platform combining a micro-reactor of 1-20 megawatts electric and a turbine to […]

Money (Not) to Burn: Payments for
Ecosystem Services to Reduce
Crop Residue Burning

Posted on February 22nd, 2023 by Tony Tran

Worldwide, poor air quality is a leading preventable cause of death and morbidity. Air pollution reduces the life expectancy of […]

Accelerating Electric Vehicle Charging Investments: A Real Options Approach to Policy Design

Posted on February 13th, 2023 by Tony Tran

Significant public resources are being dedicated to stimulating private sector investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. In the U.S., […]

The Macroeconomic Impact of Europe’s Carbon Taxes

Posted on February 1st, 2023 by Tony Tran

Economists widely agree that putting a price on carbon emissions is a key element of economically efficient policies to reduce […]

How Much Are Electric Vehicles Driven? Depends on the EV

Posted on January 5th, 2023 by Tony Tran

Transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Given that, a key element of […]

Temperature and Cognitive Performance

Posted on December 6th, 2022 by Tony Tran

Boston suffered from a tremendous heat wave this summer. Both in July and August temperatures rose beyond 90°F (32°C) for […]

Natural Gas in the U.S. Southeast Power Sector under Deep Decarbonization

Posted on November 29th, 2022 by Tony Tran

An increasing number of public and private actors have announced “net-zero” emissions targets by mid-century. In the electricity sector, the […]

Carbon Abatement Costs for Hydrogen Fuels in Hard-to-Abate Transport Sectors and Potential Climate Policy Mixes

Posted on November 15th, 2022 by Tony Tran

Additional climate policy efforts are needed for “hard-to-abate” sectors such as heavy-duty trucking, shipping, and aviation, in order for governments […]

Gilbert E. Metcalf Joins
MIT CEEPR as a Visiting Professor

Posted on November 9th, 2022 by Tony Tran

CEEPR is delighted to welcome Gilbert E. Metcalf as a Visiting Professor. Professor Metcalf is an economist who has made […]

Five Myths About
Carbon Pricing

Posted on November 2nd, 2022 by Tony Tran

Among economists, there is near unanimous consensus that a necessary component of any portfolio of policies to address climate change […]

Electricity Retail Rate Design in a Decarbonizing Economy: An Analysis of Time-of-Use and Critical Peak Pricing

Posted on October 17th, 2022 by Tony Tran

Currently, U.S. residential and small commercial electricity consumers are typically billed based on nearly flat rates, i.e., a constant price […]

Rational Rationing: A Price-Control Mechanism for a Persistent Supply Shock

Posted on October 7th, 2022 by Tony Tran

The 2021 Texas power crisis, caused by a series of winter storms, led to prices that were 100 times higher […]

The Macroeconomic Effects of a Carbon Tax to Meet the U.S. Paris Agreement Target

Posted on October 7th, 2022 by Tony Tran

We explore the quantitative impact of a carbon tax that reduces emissions by 35 percent—a target consistent with the Biden […]

Long-term Equilibrium in Electricity Markets with Renewables and Energy Storage Only

Posted on September 26th, 2022 by Tony Tran

In many regions of the world, the economic dispatch of electricity, and the corresponding financial arrangements, are organized using spot […]

3 Questions: Janelle Knox-Hayes on producing renewable energy that communities want

Posted on September 21st, 2022 by Tony Tran

Wind power accounted for 8 percent of U.S. electricity consumption in 2020, and is growing rapidly in the country’s energy […]

Is nuclear power a green solution? Why world tilts toward ‘yes.’

Posted on September 9th, 2022 by Tony Tran

Environmental groups and policymakers are softening their stances against nuclear power, some reluctantly, some whole-heartedly, and many with a new […]

How America Can Make Industrial Policy Work

Posted on September 7th, 2022 by Tony Tran

In an article on Foreign Affairs, MIT Professors John M. Deutch and Ernest J. Moniz discuss how the Inflation Reduction […]

Sustainable Hydrogen Fuels versus Fossil Fuels for Trucking, Shipping and Aviation: A Dynamic Cost Model

Posted on July 26th, 2022 by Tony Tran

Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 represents a significant challenge for the global trucking, shipping and aviation sectors. Unlike the […]

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

Posted on June 15th, 2022 by Tony Tran

As national debate over nuclear power’s future continues, there are signs that the movement to keep plants open is making […]

Why Gas Prices Are So High

Posted on June 14th, 2022 by Tony Tran

Gas prices in the United States are at record highs. And even when adjusting for inflation, they are on average […]

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

Posted on June 10th, 2022 by Tony Tran

Industrial energy efficiency plays a central role in projections that achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by mid-century. According […]

Climate worries galvanize a new pro-nuclear movement in the U.S.

Posted on May 27th, 2022 by Tony Tran

As states race to keep plants open, California becomes a test case of how much the tide has shifted. The […]

MITEI Releases The Future of Energy Storage Report

Posted on May 16th, 2022 by Tony Tran

The MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) has just released a significant new research report, The Future of Energy Storage—the culmination of […]

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

Posted on April 26th, 2022 by Tony Tran

In the late 1990s, several states in the United States started to restructure the electricity sector, replacing regulated and vertically […]

Coping with National Fuel Subsidies in Regional Power Markets

Posted on March 24th, 2022 by Tony Tran

Fuel subsidies for fossil generators persist in different electricity markets across five continents. In light of the current European energy […]

Technology Neutral vs.
Technology Specific Procurement

Posted on March 15th, 2022 by Tony Tran

A principal (e.g., a regulator or a firm) needs to procure multiple units of a good or service that can […]

Power Price Crisis in the EU: Unveiling Current Policy Responses and Proposing a Balanced Regulatory Remedy

Posted on March 1st, 2022 by Tony Tran

For several months, electricity prices in the European Union (EU) have been at sustained and unprecedentedly high levels. The current […]

Colluding Against Environmental Regulation

Posted on January 24th, 2022 by Tony Tran

In July 2021, three of Germany’s largest automakers, BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen, settled with the European Commission (EC) to pay […]

Why Do Firms Issue Green Bonds?

Posted on January 12th, 2022 by Tony Tran

Green finance certification allows investors to link their decisions to firms’ commitments toward the environment. Green bonds are the most […]

MITEI appoints
Professor Christopher Knittel
as Deputy Director for Policy

Posted on January 12th, 2022 by Tony Tran

Christopher Knittel has held a number of titles at MIT: George P. Shultz Professor of Energy Economics … Director of […]

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

Posted on December 16th, 2021 by Tony Tran

Wind energy plays a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by providing carbon-free and low marginal cost energy. In […]

Global Externalities, Local Policies, and Firm Selection

Posted on December 1st, 2021 by Tony Tran

How to fight global problems without hurting the local welfare? Economists are increasingly confronting this question: Whether it relates to […]

Will the Climate Crisis Force America to Reconsider Nuclear Power?

Posted on November 19th, 2021 by Tony Tran

Despite providing nearly 9% of California’s electricity generation, and accounting for 15% of its clean-energy production, Diablo Canyon is set […]

At UN Climate Change Conference, Trying to “Keep 1.5 Alive”

Posted on November 17th, 2021 by Tony Tran

A delegation from MIT traveled to Glasgow for COP26, where international negotiators sought to keep global climate goals on track. […]

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

Posted on November 16th, 2021 by Tony Tran

We evaluated the system cost of providing electricity and heat to serve the load profiles of two types of Alaskan […]

$1B Transmission Smack Down May Upend Northeast Renewables

Posted on November 12th, 2021 by Tony Tran

CEEPR Executive Director Joshua Hodge is interviewed by E&E News on the potential policy ramifications of Maine voters opting to […]

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

Posted on November 5th, 2021 by Tony Tran

Future electricity systems with constraints on carbon emissions will rely more on wind and solar generation, with zero marginal cost, […]

Advancing International Cooperation under the Paris Agreement: Issues and Options for Article 6

Posted on November 1st, 2021 by Alvaro Perez Blanco

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement enables Parties to engage in voluntary cooperation as they implement their nationally determined contributions […]

Here’s What Every Degree of Heat Rise Could Do to the Global Economy

Posted on October 28th, 2021 by Tony Tran

CEEPR Director Christopher Knittel is among a group of experts interviewed by CBS News for a piece on the effects […]

Technology Adoption and Early Network Infrastructure Provision in the Market for Electric Vehicles

Posted on October 28th, 2021 by Alvaro Perez Blanco

Car use is associated with significant negative local and global external costs (e.g., from pollution), and many consider electrification as […]

Taxing New Plastic is the Cheapest Way to Address its Environmental Impact

Posted on October 7th, 2021 by Tony Tran

In an Op-Ed on The Hill, Professor Christopher Knittel discusses the plastic pollution problem and how a tax on new […]

NBER Appoints New Co-directors of the EEE Program

Posted on September 29th, 2021 by Tony Tran

Meredith Fowlie and Christopher Knittel have been appointed as co-directors of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Environment and Energy […]

How the Gulf Coast Can Lead the Energy Transition

Posted on September 24th, 2021 by Tony Tran

On Thursday, September 23 at 4PM EDT, the Roosevelt Project held a webinar to release preliminary findings from the Gulf […]

Policies for Electrifying the Light-Duty Vehicle Fleet in the United States

Posted on September 10th, 2021 by Tony Tran

The decarbonization of the light-duty vehicle (LDV) fleet in the United States is an important policy priority for the coming […]

Intermittent versus Dispatchable Power Sources: An Integrated Competitive Assessment

Posted on September 8th, 2021 by Alvaro Perez Blanco

The costs of replacing dispatchable power sources based on fossil fuels with intermittent renewable power sources remain controversial. The life-cycle […]

Parliamentary Secretary Mike Bernier summarizes British Columbia’s positive experience with its revenue-neutral carbon tax

How to Reach 50 percent Zero-emission Vehicles

Posted on September 1st, 2021 by tagadmin

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.

Rust? Trains? Why clean energy is turning to exotic ideas to fix its storage problem

Posted on August 6th, 2021 by tagadmin

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.

Lack of Transatlantic Cooperation on Trade Threatens Global Climate Change Goals

Posted on August 2nd, 2021 by tagadmin

CEEPR’s Deputy Director Michael Mehling and the Bipartisan Policy Center’s George David Banks discuss border carbon adjustment proposals from both the US and the EU in this piece on The Hill.

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

Posted on July 8th, 2021 by tagadmin

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

Posted on July 8th, 2021 by tagadmin

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 â€œNIMBYâ€ opposition. These barriers are identified and potential reforms to reducing them are discussed in this Working Paper.

From Hierarchies to Markets and Partially Back Again in Electricity

Posted on June 21st, 2021 by tagadmin

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 years. In this paper, Paul Joskow thinks broadly about the options for institutional change from a Williamsonian perspective, which provides a useful framework for examining institutional adaptation.

Taxes, Oil Prices And Why We’re All Quitting Our Jobs: Indicators Of The Week

Posted on June 15th, 2021 by tagadmin

In an episode of NPR’s Planet Money podcast series, Director Christopher Knittel discusses corporate taxes, the current state of oil prices, and employment trends.

Energy Conversion and Storage: The Value of Reversible Power-to-Gas Systems

Posted on June 1st, 2021 by tagadmin

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 Power-to-Gas systems that can convert electricity to hydrogen or operate in the reverse direction to deliver electricity during times of high power prices.

Spring 2021 Newsletter Released

Posted on June 1st, 2021 by tagadmin

The next issue of the CEEPR Newsletter is now online. Read about research work and other collected news items from the past few months here.

MIT CEEPR Research on Carbon Pricing Cited in Congressional Hearing

Posted on May 19th, 2021 by tagadmin

Congressman Scott H. Peters highlights CEEPR study on the benefits of including carbon pricing in a climate policy portfolio.

MIT Unveils a New Action Plan to Tackle the Climate Crisis

Posted on May 12th, 2021 by tagadmin

The plan includes a broad array of new initiatives and significant expansions of existing programs to bring the Instituteâ€™s expertise to bear on this critical global issue.

Are Complementary Policies Substitutes? Evidence from R&D Subsidies in the UK

Posted on May 10th, 2021 by tagadmin

Fostering innovation is one of the longest-standing and most pressing economic challenges. Governments globally provide subsidies comprising hundreds of billions of dollars each year. A paper by CEEPR faculty affiliate Jacquelyn Pless examines the interdependence of direct subsidies and tax incentives on private R&D.

On the Path to an Equitable Energy Transition, a New Collaborative Report Provides Insight on How to Get There

Posted on April 28th, 2021 by tagadmin

MIT researchers join scholars from across the United States in an analysis of 35 policy proposals to support an equitable energy transition for all communities.

CEEPR Research Referenced in Hydro-Quebec CEO’s Vision for Climate Action

Posted on April 12th, 2021 by tagadmin

Canadaâ€™s leading newspaper highlights CEEPR research that informed Hydro-QuÃ©becâ€™s strategic realignment under CEO Sophie Brochu.

The Economics of Grid-Scale Energy Storage

Posted on April 8th, 2021 by tagadmin

The transition to a low-carbon electricity system is likely to require grid-scale energy storage to smooth the variability and intermittency of renewable energy. This paper investigates whether private incentives for operating and investing in grid-scale energy storage are optimal and the need for policies that complement investments in renewables with encouraging energy storage.

Resilient Decarbonization for the United States

Posted on March 19th, 2021 by tagadmin

The past decade has seen an unprecedented surge of climate change-driven extreme weather events that have wrought over $800 billion in damage and taken more than 5,200 lives across the United States â€” a trend that appears poised to intensify. At the same time, the need for a large-scale effort to decarbonize the U.S. electric power system has become clear, along with the growing climate risks and impacts that any such effort will face.

Electric Cars Are Coming. How Long Until They Rule the Road?

Posted on March 11th, 2021 by tagadmin

An article in The New York Times explores how long fleet turnover may take to switch from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles and interviews CEEPR Director Christopher Knittel for his thoughts…

CEEPR Research Featured in Forbes

Posted on March 5th, 2021 by tagadmin

CEEPR’s oil-battery price calculator used to evaluate prospects for EV uptake in Forbes Magazine. Read the full article here.

Q&A: Clare Balboni on environmental economics

Posted on February 23rd, 2021 by tagadmin

In this Q&A with MIT SHASS Communications, Professor Clare Balboni describes the burgeoning influence of economics in understanding climate, energy, and environmental issues.

Grid Impacts of Highway Electric Vehicle Charging

Posted on February 22nd, 2021 by tagadmin

Highway fast-charging (HFC) stations for electric vehicles (EVs) are necessary to address range anxiety concerns and thus to support economy-wide decarbonization goals through the electrification of transportation. The characteristics of HFC electricity demand â€“ their relative inflexibility, high power requirements, and spatial concentration â€“ have the potential to adversely impact grid operations as HFC infrastructure expands.

Learning from Supply Shocks in the Energy Market

Posted on February 8th, 2021 by tagadmin

In this paper, Bora Ozaltun carries out three studies of the local and global impacts of supply shocks in energy markets, including looking at the relationship between power plants, energy prices and local pollution, analyzing fossil fuel trade networks, and developing a general equilibrium model to isolate trade impacts of the shale revolution.

MIT CEEPR Again Ranked Among Top Energy Policy Think Tanks in the World

Posted on February 5th, 2021 by tagadmin

For the ninth consecutive year, MIT CEEPR has been ranked among the top ten energy policy think tanks in the world, according to the annual â€œGlobal Go To Think Tank Index Report.”

Registration Open for the 2021 MIT Energy Conference

Posted on February 5th, 2021 by tagadmin

Held from March 10-12, the 2021 MIT Energy Conference will feature high-profile keynote speakers and panels covering the fossil transition, trends in renewable energy development, and many more.

Energy Storage Investment and Operation in Efficient Electric Power Systems

Posted on January 26th, 2021 by tagadmin

Variable renewable energy (VRE) resources, mainly wind and solar, are becoming increasingly important sources of electricity in many regions. In a new CEEPR Working Paper, MITâ€™s Cristian Junge, Dharik Mallapragada, and Richard Schmalensee consider welfare-optimal investment in – and operation of – electric power systems.

An Alternative LACE Study on Solar PV

Posted on December 16th, 2020 by tagadmin

Renewable generating technologies in the electricity market are often evaluated using the Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Using a more holistic approach, this CEEPR Working Paper measures the Levelized Avoided Cost of Electricity (LACE), which considers what it will cost the grid to generate electricity using renewable technology, amortized over its lifetime, to assess the economical value of the renewable generating technology.

Fall 2020 Newsletter Released

Posted on December 14th, 2020 by tagadmin

The next issue of the CEEPR Newsletter is now online. Read about research work and other collected news items from the past few months here.

The Roosevelt Project Releases Mapping Tool

Posted on December 14th, 2020 by tagadmin

The Roosevelt Project has created an interactive mapping tool that visualizes the data collected by the research group, down to an individual US county level. You may visit the page here.

Grid Reliability in a Carbon-Constrained World

Posted on November 13th, 2020 by tagadmin

In this upcoming webinar on Nov. 19, organized in collaboration with the MIT Energy Initiative Electric Power Systems Low Carbon Center, two experts on electricity systems and market design will address the impacts of power sector decarbonization on grid reliability.

Trade-offs in Climate Policy: Combining Low-Carbon Standards with Modest Carbon Pricing

Posted on November 9th, 2020 by tagadmin

Past research suggests that choosing between these policies involves trade-offs between the relative efficiency and progressivity of carbon pricing on the one hand and the political acceptability of low-carbon standards on the other. To inform policy choice, this paper explores the effects of different combinations of both policies.

Going Beyond Default Intensities in an EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

Posted on October 19th, 2020 by tagadmin

As part of its Green Deal, the EU is currently preparing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) that will extend carbon pricing to imports with a view to mitigating carbon leakage concerns. This paper outlines a CBAM design that allows producers to demonstrate that their actual carbon intensity lies below the default value.

The Future of the Energy Workforce

Posted on October 14th, 2020 by tagadmin

Sade Nabahe is a CEEPR Research Assistant working with the Roosevelt Project. Sade shares her experiences interning in Senator Tina Smithâ€™s (D-MN) office as an energy workforce policy fellow.

Reducing Emissions in Transportation: Technology and Policy Options

Posted on October 13th, 2020 by tagadmin

In this upcoming webinar on Oct. 22, two experts on transportation policy and economics, who will draw on recent research work to discuss challenges and opportunities on the path towards a low-carbon transportation sector.

A price on carbon would benefit competitive power markets

Posted on October 2nd, 2020 by tagadmin

As federal debate heats up, a Washington Times op-ed co-authored by CEEPRâ€™s Michael Mehling discusses the rationale of carbon pricing in the electricity sector.

Distributional Effects of Net Metering Policies and Residential Solar + Storage Adoption

Posted on October 1st, 2020 by tagadmin

By using a dataset of 100,000 customersâ€™ half-hourly load data and income quintiles from Chicago, IL, the authors of this Working Paper simulate the operation of residential solar and behind-the-meter battery systems under 20%, 45% and 70% adoption levels and calculate both resulting bills as well as cost-shifts for every client.

Revamped MIT Climate Portal aims to inform and empower the public

Posted on October 1st, 2020 by tagadmin

MIT today announced a dramatic overhaul of the MIT Climate Portal, climate.mit.edu, which provides timely, science-based information about the causes and consequences of climate change.

Towards Carbon Neutrality in Energy and Transportation: The Role of Hydrogen

Posted on September 25th, 2020 by tagadmin

In this upcoming webinar on Oct. 8, organized in collaboration with the MIT Energy Initiative Electric Power Systems Low Carbon Center, three experts will weigh in on the prospects of hydrogen from different backgrounds and regional contexts.

Quantifying the Distributional Impacts of Rooftop Solar Adoption

Posted on September 16th, 2020 by tagadmin

A new CEEPR Working Paper shows that residential rooftop solar PV adoption under typical electricity tariffs that inefficiently recover residual costs through volumetric charges creates substantial income distributional effects, specifically increasing average expenditures substantially for non-adopters, which tend to be predominantly lower income customers.

Understanding the Economic and Environmental Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted on September 11th, 2020 by tagadmin

The next webinar in the CEEPR Fall 2020 series takes place on Thursday September 24, and brings together Professor Jing Li and Professor Christopher Knittel – the authors of two CEEPR working papers evaluating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic through use of empirical data.

Axios features Roosevelt Project rollout webinar

Posted on September 11th, 2020 by tagadmin

In a post on Axios, Amy Harder recaps some highlights from her discussion with MIT’s Ernest Moniz during the Roosevelt Project webinar.

The Roosevelt Project Working Papers Now Available

Posted on September 10th, 2020 by tagadmin

The first nine Working Papers have been released under the Roosevelt Project, an initiative examining the transitional challenges associated with progress toward a deeply decarbonized U.S. economy. Please click here to access the series page.

Launch Webinar: The Roosevelt Project

Posted on August 21st, 2020 by tagadmin

In this webinar, Professor Ernest Moniz will be joined by a group of high-level experts from academia, public policy and civil society to release nine Working Papers completed during the first phase of the Roosevelt Project. These offer a crosscutting and multidisciplinary assessment of key challenges and opportunities related to the transition. Panelists will present and discuss central messages from this first project phase.

State Ownership and Technology Adoption

Posted on August 21st, 2020 by tagadmin

Many policymakers aim to redirect electric utilities’ power plant investments toward renewables. In much of Europe, state-owned and private utilities co-exist in a liberalized market environment, but the impact of ownership on the adoption of renewables is unclear. By investigating the investments of incumbent utilities in the EU during 2005-2016, the authors study the mechanisms by which ownership made a difference.

2020 Fall Webinar Series

Posted on August 11th, 2020 by tagadmin

This series of webinars will take place from August 27 through December 10 and will cover topics including challenges in electricity markets with high shares of renewables, the economic and environmental impacts of COVID-19, transportation emissions policy, the role of hydrogen in the energy sector, and more. Additional information may be found here as it is updated throughout the Fall semester.

Overcoming Challenges in Electricity Markets with High Shares of VRE: New Research Insights

Posted on August 11th, 2020 by tagadmin

In this upcoming webinar on August 27, the authors of two recent CEEPR Working Papers will describe how bidding formats and pricing models are evolving on both sides of the Atlantic to accommodate the operational constraints of renewable energy and energy storage providers, highlighting a number of lessons learned.

MIT and Wyoming Explore Energy and Climate Solutions

Posted on August 4th, 2020 by tagadmin

Members of Wyomingâ€™s government and public university met with MIT researchers to discuss climate-friendly economic growth.

2020 Fall Webinar Series

Posted on July 24th, 2020 by tagadmin

CEEPR is pleased to announce its Fall 2020 Webinar Series. The series of seven webinars will take place from August 27 through December 10. Additional information may be found here:

A Multi-control Climate Policy Process for a Designated Decision Maker

Posted on July 22nd, 2020 by tagadmin

Researchers present an idealized model of optimally-controlled climate change, showing that the four methods of controlling climate damageâ€“ mitigation, carbon dioxide removal, adaptation, and solar radiation modificationâ€“ are not interchangeable, as they enter at different stages of the causal chain that connects GHG emissions to damages.

Abatement Strategies and the Cost of Environmental Regulation

Posted on July 17th, 2020 by tagadmin

Emission standards are one of the primary policy tools used to reduce CO2 emissions in the passenger vehicle market. This Working Paper studies the 2015 introduction of an EU-wide emission standard to understand the effects of emission standards for consumers, firms, and the environment.

Evolving Bidding Formats & Pricing Schemes in US and Europe Day-Ahead Electricity Markets

Posted on July 13th, 2020 by tagadmin

The increasing penetration of renewable energy as well as storage resources requires adapting bidding formats and pricing schemes. Learning from best practices from both sides of the Atlantic, the researchers in this Working Paper review current trends and future challenges to properly evolve these market design elements.

Competitive Energy Storage and the Duck Curve

Posted on July 8th, 2020 by tagadmin

Power systems with high penetrations of solar generation need to replace solar output when it falls rapidly in the late afternoon â€“ the duck curve problem. In this paper, Richard Schmalensee considers investment in generation and storage to minimize expected cost in a model of an electric power system with alternating daytime periods, with solar generation, and nighttime periods, without it.

The Short-run and Long-run Effects of Covid-19 on Energy and the Environment

Posted on July 1st, 2020 by tagadmin

In this commentary, the researchers explore how the short-run effects of Covid-19 in reducing CO2 and local air pollutant emissions can easily be outweighed by the long-run effects of a slowing of the clean energy innovation. A quick stabilization of the economy and expediting investment in clean energy can make all the difference.

Public Transit Use Is Associated With Higher Coronavirus Death Rates

Posted on June 29th, 2020 by tagadmin

An article in the Wall Street Journal discusses findings from a recent CEEPR Working Paper by Christopher Knittel and Bora Ozaltun on COVID-19 death rates.

Electrifying Transportation: Issues and Opportunities

Posted on June 25th, 2020 by tagadmin

In this Working Paper, the researchers examine the global implications of electrifying the transportation fleet. Their analysis covers an array of topics including vehicle cost considerations, infrastructure concerns, emissions consequences, and the potential effect of electrification on gasoline tax revenues.

Researchers see race factor in COVID-19 death toll

Posted on June 15th, 2020 by tagadmin

In this article, Professor Knittel and Bora Ozaltun describe the conclusions from a recent CEEPR Working Paper on Covid-19 death rates.

What Does and Does Not Correlate with COVID-19 Death Rates

Posted on June 10th, 2020 by tagadmin

In this CEEPR Working Paper, Professor Knittel and Bora Ozaltun correlate county-level COVID-19 death rates between April 4, 2020 to May 27, 2020 with key variables using both linear regression and negative binomial mixed models. They include four sets of variables: socio-economic variables, county-level health variables, modes of commuting, and climate and pollution patterns.

What We Know and Don’t Know About Climate Change, and Implications for Policy

Posted on June 3rd, 2020 by tagadmin

In a new CEEPR Working Paper, Professor Robert Pindyck explains that we face considerable uncertainty over climate change and its impact, why there is so much uncertainty, and why we will continue to face uncertainty in the near future. He also discusses the policy implications of climate change uncertainty.

The Value of Pumped Hydro Storage for Deep Decarbonization of the Spanish Grid

Posted on May 22nd, 2020 by tagadmin

Pumped hydro storage (PHS) is an old solution to a new problem – the variability of renewable generation. A new CEEPR Working Paper presents a case study of Spain, demonstrating how PHS significantly increases the dispatch of low-carbon technologies and lowers emissions.

Welfare Costs of Catastrophes: Lost Consumption and Lost Lives

Posted on April 15th, 2020 by tagadmin

In a new CEEPR Working Paper, the authors, which include CEEPR faculty member Professor Robert Pindyck, discuss the economics of catastrophic events such as climate change and global pandemics.

Energy economics class inspires students to pursue clean energy careers

Posted on April 13th, 2020 by tagadmin

In a feature on MIT News, Professor Jing Li discusses course 15.0201/14.43 – Economics of Energy, Innovation, and Sustainability.

MIT CEEPR Webinars

Posted on April 8th, 2020 by tagadmin

In lieu of the Spring 2020 Workshop, CEEPR Associates will have access to a series of webinars on May 14, 21, and 28. Please check here for further information.

Optimality Conditions and Cost Recovery in Electricity Markets with VRE and Energy Storage

Posted on March 17th, 2020 by tagadmin

In this CEEPR Working Paper, the authors investigate how variable renewable energy and energy storage impacts the formation of prices and optimal investments in electricity markets, using an analytical approach to derive the system-optimal conditions for installed capacity of all generators and storage devices.

Evidence on the Implicit Carbon Price of Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Posted on March 2nd, 2020 by tagadmin

Based on data for 548 apartment buildings over 16 years, this paper quantifies the implicit price of carbon associated with more than 400 energy efficiency interventions in 240 treated buildings. The results suggest significant heterogeneity in both energy savings and in the cost of carbon abatement associated with frequently subsidized measures such as windows replacement and wall insulation.

The Key to New Yorkâ€™s Green Dreams May Be Turning Quebec Into a Mega-Battery

Posted on February 24th, 2020 by tagadmin

An article in Bloomberg discusses recent findings from a CEEPR Working Paper on the role of Canadian hydropower for deep decarbonization of the US Northeast.

MIT Study Highlights Benefits of a Two-way Exchange of Electricity Between the U.S. Northeast and Quebec as Region Decarbonizes

Posted on February 12th, 2020 by tagadmin

States in the Northeastern U.S. can transition to low-carbon electricity at a lower cost by using hydropower reservoirs in Quebec for energy storage according to a new CEEPR Working Paper.

Supply chain resilience in the era of climate change

Posted on February 11th, 2020 by tagadmin

Climate risk is everywhere â€” from flood, fire, and wind to migrating labor and depleted raw materials. MIT experts, including Chris Knittel, talk about what to do now to harden your supply chain.

Designing Effective Auctions for Renewable Energy Support

Posted on February 5th, 2020 by tagadmin

Governments use procurement auctions for renewable energy support to stimulate
investment in renewable energy. This Working Paper assesses the effect of prevalent auction design elements on effectiveness, using a unique dataset with results of auctions for renewable energy support from 1990 to 2017.

MIT CEEPR Ranked Among the World’s Top Ten Energy and Resource Policy Think Tanks

Posted on February 3rd, 2020 by tagadmin

For the eighth year in a row, MIT CEEPR has been ranked among the top ten energy policy think tanks in the world, according to the annual â€œGlobal Go To Think Tank Index Report.”

Study: State-level adoption of renewable energy standards saves money and lives

Posted on January 22nd, 2020 by tagadmin

MIT researchers review renewable energy and carbon pricing policies as states consider repealing or relaxing renewable portfolio standards.

Zeroing in on decarbonization

Posted on January 15th, 2020 by tagadmin

To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the worldâ€™s electric energy systems must stop producing carbon by 2050. â€œMy work has shown me that we do have the means to tackle the problem…”

Carbon Price, Competitive Supply, and Consumer Protection

Posted on January 15th, 2020 by tagadmin

On January 14, 2020, Professor Christopher Knittel testified before the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy at the Massachusetts State House. Read his full statement here.

Using Machine Learning to Target Treatment: The Case of Household Energy Use

Posted on January 9th, 2020 by tagadmin

In this Working Paper, the researchers use causal forests to evaluate the heterogeneous treatment effects (TEs) of repeated behavioral nudges towards household energy conservation and find suggestive evidence of a â€œboomerang effectâ€: households with lower consumption than similar neighbors are the ones with positive TE estimates.

Social Comparison and Energy Conservation in a Collective Action Context

Posted on December 18th, 2019 by tagadmin

In this CEEPR Working Paper, the authors report results from a social comparison feedback experiment incentivizing a reduction of indoor temperatures during the heating season. Despite the fact that most study participants did not face direct financial benefits from lowering heating energy consumption, the results show a statistically significant treatment effect of -0.54Â°F (-1.2%).

Machine Learning for Solar Accessibility: Implications for Low-Income Solar Expansion and Profitability

Posted on December 10th, 2019 by tagadmin

The US solar industry typically uses a standard credit score as a factor in approving customers for new installations. The authors of this paper compare machine learning and econometric models to predict the probability of default to credit-score cutoffs.

Getting the carbon out of the electricity sector

Posted on December 9th, 2019 by tagadmin

CEEPR faculty members Paul Joskow, David Keith, Christopher Knittel and Jessika Trancik participated in a recent MIT symposium titled â€œDecarbonizing the Electricity Sector.”

Driving Behavior and the Price of Gasoline: Evidence from Fueling-Level Micro Data

Posted on November 14th, 2019 by tagadmin

In this CEEPR Working Paper, Professor Christopher Knittel and Professor Shinsuke Tanaka use novel microdata on on-road fuel consumption and prices paid for fuel to estimate short-run elasticities of demand for gasoline consumption.

Five reasons climate change is the worst environmental problem the world has ever faced

Posted on October 28th, 2019 by tagadmin

In an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, Professor Christopher Knittel lays out five features that combine to make global warming a more vexing environmental crisis than any we have faced before.

Electrification Planning in Developing Countries

Posted on October 21st, 2019 by tagadmin

The studies presented in this CEEPR Working Paper employ the Reference Electrification Model (REM) to investigate the value of accurately modeling detailed demand characteristics for electrification planning endeavors. REM prescribes cost-optimal supply technology designs for large areas of interest at building-level granularities given information about existing infrastructure, supply technology, and demand characteristics.

Crackdowns in Hierarchies: Evidence from China’s Environmental Inspections

Posted on October 10th, 2019 by tagadmin

Professor Valerie Karplus and Mengying Wu investigate how ï¬rms respond to crackdowns on public policy enforcement by linking the timing of centralized dispatch of environmental inspectors to cities in China with high-frequency observations of air pollution at coal power plants.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Traditional Arrangements for Electricity Supply

Posted on October 1st, 2019 by tagadmin

Professor Richard Schmalensee provides a broad-brush comparison of performance under traditional arrangements for electricity supply with those that emerged after the world-wide wave of restructuring that began in the 1990s in a new CEEPR Working Paper.

Should the EU tax imported products according to their CO2 footprint?

Posted on September 24th, 2019 by tagadmin

In an op-ed on The Rift, CEEPR’s Emil Dimanchev outlined the pros of a carbon tax on imports in the EU, stating that pricing CO2 imports would be a win-win for the environment and the EU economy.

Providing the Spark: Impact of Financial Incentives on Battery Electric Vehicle Adoption

Posted on September 23rd, 2019 by tagadmin

In a new CEEPR Working paper, researchers examine direct financial incentives for consumers that purchase battery electric vehicles. Their analysis estimates that state-level subsidies in the form of vehicle purchase rebates were responsible for an 11% increase in overall BEV registrations in the US from 2011 to 2015.

Estimating the Costs and Benefits of Fuel-Economy Standards

Posted on September 16th, 2019 by tagadmin

A team of researchers, including CEEPR Director Christopher Knittel, examine the welfare effects of fuel-economy standards and apply their analytical framework to the recent government proposal to roll them back. They find that the rollback proposal suffers from inconsistencies due to a piecemeal equilibrium analysis, which are highlighted in a new CEEPR Working Paper.

Advancing Towards Better Modeling Practices When Assessing the Value of Energy Storage in Long-term Energy Planning Studies

Posted on September 16th, 2019 by tagadmin

In a new journal article, CEEPR’s AndrÃ©s Inzunza and co-authors analyze how overlooking certain details in energy planning models may lead to an underestimation of the value of energy storage.

Diary of a Wimpy Carbon Tax: Carbon Taxes as Federal Climate Policy

Posted on September 11th, 2019 by tagadmin

In a new CEEPR Working Paper, Professor Christopher Knittel models the carbon price needed to achieve projected emission reductions under Obama-era vehicle mileage standards, the Clean Power Plan, and a biofuel mandate. He found that a federal carbon price of $7 in 2020 could reduce emissions by the same amount as all of the flagship climate policies adopted by the Obama administration.

Massachusetts needs congestion pricing now

Posted on August 12th, 2019 by tagadmin

In an Op-ed in the Boston Globe, CEEPR faculty member and MIT Sloan Mitsui Career Development Professor David Keith provides insights in response to MassDOTâ€™s report on traffic congestion.

Implementing Negative Emissions Technologies

Posted on August 1st, 2019 by tagadmin

Negative emissions technologies (NETs) are increasingly looked to as a lever to achieve committed decarbonization goals. However, such technologies raise urgent technical questions around their risks, costs, and benefits. In a new CEEPR Working Paper, MIT Institute Professor John Deutch presents several options for the creation of a NET innovation program to promote their development and deployment, and discusses their implications.

Spatial and Temporal Variation in the Value of Solar Power across U.S. Electricity Markets

Posted on July 15th, 2019 by tagadmin

Researchers combine electricity prices, emissions rates, and weather data to map the changing value of PV at ~10,000 locations across the US. Cost declines are found to have outrun value declines, such that the energy, capacity, health, and climate benefits of PV outweigh utility-scale PV costs at the majority of locations modeled.

Decentralized Economic Dispatch for Radial Electric Distribution Systems

Posted on July 1st, 2019 by tagadmin

Innovative methods for dispatching power at the residential level must be explored as more DERs are entering the market. This CEEPR Working Paper explains how power dispatching works today, and introduces an alternative, decentralized method that accounts for DERs such as rooftop solar and electric vehicles.

MITEI awards seven Seed Fund grants for early-stage energy research

Posted on July 1st, 2019 by tagadmin

Namrata Kala and Christopher Knittel plan to examine key policy levers for meeting electricity demand and renewable energy growth without jeopardizing system reliability in the developing world.

Weakening the stateâ€™s renewable energy standards is bad for Ohioansâ€™ health

Posted on June 29th, 2019 by tagadmin

In this commentary, CEEPR Senior Research Associate Emil Dimanchev discusses research on the effects of Ohioâ€™s RPS on air quality and human health.

The Rise Of American Oil

Posted on June 28th, 2019 by tagadmin

On the Indicator, an NPR podcast show, Stacey Vanek Smith talks to Christopher Knittel, an economist at MIT, about what caused the turnaround in the oil dynamic between the US and OPEC, and what it means for the US and for the global economy.

On the Efficiency of Competitive Energy Storage

Posted on June 17th, 2019 by tagadmin

FERC recently issued Order 841, which is intended to open wholesale energy markets to merchant storage providers. In this Working Paper, Prof. Richard Schmalensee explores the validity of the Order’s presumption that existing markets will provide at least approx. optimal incentives for investment in both storage and generation: it does not contemplate the establishment of new markets or new policies.

Researchers: Bitcoin’s Carbon Footprint Equal to Las Vegas

Posted on June 13th, 2019 by tagadmin

In The New York Times, Christian Stoll discusses findings first published in a CEEPR Working Paper on the carbon footprint of virtual currency.

Millennials Like Cars As Much As Boomers Do

Posted on May 30th, 2019 by tagadmin

Christopher Knittel is P&Qs’ Professor of the Week. Everybody knows that Millennials marry later and buy fewer homes than previous generations did. But when it comes to cars, that conventional wisdom is wrong…

Optimal Commodity Taxation with a Non-renewable Resource

Posted on May 7th, 2019 by tagadmin

When governments need to raise public revenues, they should tax non-renewable resources more than regular commodities according to a dynamic rule. For carbon resources, that means augmenting the carbon tax in a way that further reduces their development and slows down their exploitation, which goes further in the direction of resolving the climate problem.

Why reducing carbon emissions from cars and trucks will be so hard

Posted on May 6th, 2019 by tagadmin

In this article on The Conversation, CEEPR faculty Professors David Keith and Christopher Knittel point out the difficulties facing the transition away from internal combustion engine vehicles.

State would benefit from preserving nuclear power

Posted on May 1st, 2019 by tagadmin

In an article on Press&Journal, John Parsons discusses a vital decision about the place nuclear power will have in Pennsylvania’s future.

E7: TIL about carbon pricing

Posted on April 25th, 2019 by tagadmin

In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), MIT economics professor Christopher Knittel joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to break down the complexities of carbon pricing.

Shared Capacity and Levelized Cost with Application to Power-to-Gas Technology

Posted on April 16th, 2019 by tagadmin

Power-to-Gas could become a central enabler of the transition towards a sustainable economy by reversibly converting electricity to hydrogen. A new paper shows that it will be competitive with fossil-based energy sources so as to solve the challenges of intermittent renewable generation and widespread industrial decarbonization.

Generational Trends in Vehicle Ownership and Use: Are Millennials Any Different?

Posted on April 1st, 2019 by tagadmin

Professor Christopher Knittel and CEEPR graduate Elizabeth Murphy delve into the data to determine if conventional thinking regarding Millennials pans out. Their findings indicate there is little difference in preferences for vehicle ownership versus prior generations when controlling for confounding variables.

Donâ€™t Expect Car Ownership to Become Obsolete

Posted on March 29th, 2019 by tagadmin

Christopher Knittel and Elizabeth Murphy’s recent work on millennial vehicle ownership trends are highlighted in this Economics Opinion piece on Bloomberg.

Earth Hour 2019: Turning off lights wonâ€™t save the planet but these â€˜greenâ€™ actions will

Posted on March 29th, 2019 by tagadmin

In an article on Global.ca, a panel of experts, including Prof. Knittel, highlight choices one can make to reduce your carbon footprint.

Despite â€˜Car-Freeâ€™ Hype, Millennials Drive a Lot

Posted on March 27th, 2019 by tagadmin

In this article on CityLab, reporter Laura Bliss discusses findings from a new working paper by CEEPR Director Christopher Knittel and recently graduated CEEPR Research Assistant Elizabeth Murphy.

Fuel-switching and Deep Decarbonization

Posted on March 15th, 2019 by tagadmin

Fuel-switching is inevitable to achieve deep decarbonization. This has, inter alia, prompted an increasing number of countries to announce coal phase-out mandates in the power sector. This working paper suggest that, when accounting for stranded assets, a decarbonization pathway that is based on gradual transition to renewable energy and initially retains coal generating assets turns out to be less expensive than a strict coal phase-out.

California wants to reform PG&E, but just how is uncertain

Posted on March 11th, 2019 by tagadmin

In this SF Chronicle article, a group of experts, including CEEPR Director Christopher Knittel, weigh in on some of the potential reforms and changes that PG&E may consider.

MIT CEEPR plays key role at first international carbon pricing research conference

Posted on March 7th, 2019 by tagadmin

CEEPR Deputy Director Michael Mehling serves as conference co-chair.

Competition for Electric Transmission Projects in the U.S.: FERC Order 1000

Posted on March 1st, 2019 by tagadmin

Professor Paul L. Joskow discusses the provisions of Order 1000, its application by ISOs, and examines the evidence to date regarding the development and application of the competitive transmission procurement model in the U.S in this CEEPR Working Paper.

Machine Learning from Schools about Energy Efficiency

Posted on February 19th, 2019 by tagadmin

This working paper studies the effectiveness of energy efficiency upgrades in K-12 schools, and demonstrate that the machine learning method outperforms standard panel fixed effects approaches. The authors find that the upgrades deliver only 53% of ex ante expected savings on average, and find a similarly low correlation between school-specific predictions of energy savings and realized savings.

The Efficiency and Distributional Effects of Alternative Residential Electricity Rate Designs

Posted on February 1st, 2019 by tagadmin

In this paper, researchers find that low-income customers would face bill increases on average in a transition to more economically efficient electricity tariffs. However, they demonstrate that simple changes to fixed charges in two-part tariffs can mitigate these disparities while preserving all, or the vast majority, of the efficiency gains.

Challenges for Wholesale Electricity Markets with Intermittent Renewable Generation at Scale: The U.S. Experience

Posted on January 11th, 2019 by tagadmin

A paper written by Professor Paul L. Joskow examines the current and likely future effects on wholesale electricity markets and the challenges these markets face due to the rapid expansion of intermittent (or variable) renewable energy, primarily wind and solar, with close to zero marginal generating costs.

The Carbon Footprint of Bitcoin

Posted on December 20th, 2018 by tagadmin

Blockchain has its roots in the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, which was the first successful attempt to validate transactions via a decentralized data protocol. Participation in its validation process requires specialized hardware and vast amounts of electricity, which translate into a significant carbon footprint.

Cooperative approaches under the Paris Agreement discussed at COP 24

Posted on December 17th, 2018 by tagadmin

CEEPR Deputy Director Michael Mehling presented research on the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at a COP24 side event.

â€œClimate change will not wait for usâ€

Posted on December 14th, 2018 by tagadmin

CEEPR graduate students Sruthi Davuluri and Anthony Fratto recently attended the COP24 held in Katowice, Poland. Read about their reflections here.

Rules to boost fuel economy for passenger vehicles will do more good than harm, new study shows

Posted on December 6th, 2018 by tagadmin

A recent paper written by a team of researchers from leading universities, including CEEPR Director Christopher Knittel, has been published in Science today. Read about the conclusions here.

Governing Cooperative Approaches under the Paris Agreement

Posted on December 3rd, 2018 by tagadmin

As Parties to the Paris Agreement convene in Poland for COP24, they will be negotiating guidance on the implementation of cooperative approaches, which allow countries to use internationally transferred mitigation outcomes towards their national climate pledges. A new CEEPR Working Paper offers insights from theory and practice to inform the negotiations.

The Rationale for Investment in Life Extension of Spanish Nuclear Power Plants

Posted on November 20th, 2018 by tagadmin

Nuclear power provides more than 20% of Spain’s electricity. As each of the 7 plants approaches its 40 year design life, a decision must be made whether to invest in a life extension, considering Spain’s goal of reducing GHG emissions. This research shows that life extensions are the least-cost alternative for further reducing GHG emissions.

Carbon Capture is Messy and Fraught – But Might Be Essential

Posted on October 29th, 2018 by tagadmin

Who would pay for a company to sequester carbon underground? MIT economist Christopher Knittel discusses a potential solution in a Wired article here.

Dynamic Competition and Arbitrage in Electricity Markets: The Role of Financial Players

Posted on October 12th, 2018 by tagadmin

Market power is typically an important concern in restructured electricity markets. This paper shows that financial traders, who trade alongside physical buyers and sellers, can increase competitiveness and lead to lower consumer prices by effectively competing with generators and restricting their market power.

Carbon tax debate: Nobels and IPCC vs. Trump and Doug Ford

Posted on October 9th, 2018 by tagadmin

In an article in Grist, Professor Christopher Knittel comments on the carbon tax debate. Read the full article here.

Energy Efficiency, Information, and the Acceptability of Rent Increases

Posted on September 14th, 2018 by tagadmin

In this paper, the authors explore role of imperfect information and attentional biases in the context of energy efficiency investments by quantifying how alternative informational interventions affect tenants’ acceptance of rent increases in exchange for improved energy efficiency of their heating appliance.

MIT Energy Initiative study reports on the future of nuclear energy

Posted on September 6th, 2018 by tagadmin

In “The Future of Nuclear Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World,” released by the MIT Energy Initiative on Sept. 3, the authors analyze the reasons for the current global stall of nuclear energy capacity…

Does the U.S. Export Global Warming? Coal Trade and the Shale Gas Boom

Posted on September 4th, 2018 by tagadmin

Christopher Knittel, Konstantinos Metaxoglou, Anson Soderbery and Andre Trindade examine the effect of the US Shale Gas Boom on global trade, consumption of coal, and CO2 emissions and the results show that the total quantity of coal traded around in the absence of the Boom is essentially the same as the actual…

Fair, Equitable, and Efficient Tariffs in the Presence of DERs

Posted on August 15th, 2018 by tagadmin

In a new CEEPR Working Paper, the authors delineate various aspects of equity and fairness that regulators must grapple with when designing electricity tariffs and show that more economically efficient tariffs can improve several aspects of equity. The research argues that DER adoption under existing tariff schemes may increase inequities already present in the power system.

Coordinating Separate Markets for Externalities

Posted on July 26th, 2018 by tagadmin

In a new CEEPR Working Paper, the authors show that inefficiencies from having separate markets to correct an environmental externality are significantly mitigated when firms participate in an integrated product market, using data from an integrated wholesale electricity market.

Who Closes First? Ownership and Collusive Early Exits

Posted on July 17th, 2018 by tagadmin

Climate and energy policies lead to a declining market for the incumbent technologies in electricity markets. Facing the challenge of closures, incumbent firms have incentives to coordinate closures through cross-ownership to achieve a collusive phase-out. For the Nordic nuclear industry, a quantification shows a highly distorted phase-out, both for the consumer surplus and the environment.

Measuring Savings from Fault Detection and Diagnostics

Posted on June 4th, 2018 by tagadmin

Data analytics will play a major role in advancing global energy efficiency and high performance building goals nationally and globally. As the fault detection and diagnostics industry emerges and unlocks numerous energy efficiency savings opportunities in buildings, it is crucial that we also advance our methodologies for evaluating these systems and quantifying the energy impact.

We donâ€™t know what climate change will cost â€” that doesnâ€™t mean we can ignore it

Posted on May 9th, 2018 by tagadmin

Professor Robert S. Pindyck of MIT and Professor James H. Stock of Harvard University discuss the importance of the social cost of carbon in a new piece on TheHill.

Electricity Market Design with Renewables

Posted on May 1st, 2018 by tagadmin

A new paper compares EU and US electricity market designs, arguing for a focus on correct price formation in the short-term to incentivize investments and reliability. Increased demand-side participation, improved pricing during scarcity, and a transition from technology-specific renewables subsidies towards adequate pricing of carbon emissions, are key to achieving a market-compatible integration of renewable energy.

Restructuring Revisited: Competition and Coordination in Electricity Distribution Systems

Posted on March 20th, 2018 by tagadmin

In light of the decentralization of the power sector, a new CEEPR Working Paper carefully considers how industry structure regulations impacts competition, market development, and the efficiency of investments in and operations of network infrastructure and connected resources.

Power Sector Reform and Corruption: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

Posted on March 7th, 2018 by tagadmin

In this paper, the authors conduct an econometric analysis of the performance of reforms in terms of efficiency, welfare, and economic development in 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa between 2002 and 2013.

3 Questions: The Future of Nuclear Energy

Posted on February 21st, 2018 by tagadmin

Jacopo Buongiorno and John Parsons, co-directors of the MITEI LCEC for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems, discuss how to overcome the challenges and realize the benefits of expanding nuclear power.

Reforming Electricity Markets for the Transition: Emerging Lessons from the UK’s Bold Experiment

Posted on February 7th, 2018 by tagadmin

In 2013, the UK introduced radical market reform to meet the new challenges – a change which some critics denounced as a return to central planning, whilst others feared the costs. The results to date suggest that EMR is a step forwards, not backwards; but it is not the end of the story.

3 Questions: Transforming our Electric Power System

Posted on February 2nd, 2018 by tagadmin

Christopher Knittel and Francis O’Sullivan, co-directors of the MITEI LCEC for Electric Power Systems Research, are exploring cleaner, more reliable, and more cost-effective solutions.

Is Massachusetts ready for carbon pricing?

Posted on January 30th, 2018 by tagadmin

On Jan. 25, a panel at MIT explored the benefits, costs, and political challenges involved in translating carbon pricing from concept into law in Massachusetts and beyond.

Jing Li: Applying economics to energy technology

Posted on January 30th, 2018 by tagadmin

Soon-to-be assistant professor of applied economics focuses on development and deployment solutions that can help the world move to a low-carbon future.

Subsidizing Fuel Efficient Cars: Evidence from China’s Automobile Industry

Posted on January 29th, 2018 by tagadmin

In a new CEEPR Working Paper, the authors examine the response of vehicle purchase behavior to Chinaâ€™s largest national subsidy program for fuel efficient vehicles during 2010 and 2011.

The Use of Regression Statistics to Analyze Imperfect Pricing Policies

Posted on January 24th, 2018 by tagadmin

Corrective taxes can completely solve a variety of market failures, but actual policies are commonly forced to deviate from the theoretical ideal due to administrative or political constraints. A new CEEPR Working Paper presents a method that requires a minimum of market information to quantify the costs of imperfect pricing, using simple regression statistics.

A Sector in Transition: Transportation in the 21st Century

Posted on January 10th, 2018 by tagadmin

MIT CEEPR, together with the Baker Institute, will host experts for a discussion focusing on the future of transportation. Registration is now open, please find details within.

What’s Killing Nuclear Power in U.S. Electricity Markets?

Posted on January 4th, 2018 by tagadmin

Prices in U.S. electricity markets fell precipitously in recent years, driving several nuclear power plants to announce plans to close well before the end of their licensed operation. A new working paper provides the first empirical estimate of the geographically heterogeneous impact of three factors on the decline in market prices earned by nuclear plants in the PJM Interconnection between 2008-2016.

Exploring Ethical Dimensions of Climate Negotiation

Posted on December 18th, 2017 by tagadmin

At this yearâ€™s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23), delegates from around the world worked on strategies to accelerate progress toward the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement. In Bonn, Germany, as negotiators worked to find common ground, MIT researchers from different technology and social science backgrounds shared their ideas for climate action.

Russia and the Post-Paris World: A New Energy Landscape?

Posted on December 4th, 2017 by tagadmin

In a new CEEPR working paper, the authors find that climate-related actions outside of Russia decrease Russiaâ€™s energy exports and lower Russiaâ€™s GDP growth rate. The paper offers suggestions for key elements of the Post-Paris strategy, including diversification of economy, moving to low-carbon energy, and investing in human capital development.

Helping Mexico Design an Effective Climate Policy

Posted on November 17th, 2017 by tagadmin

MIT researchers are working with the Mexican government on carbon pricing options to meet the countryâ€™s climate goals under the Paris Agreement. For further reading please visit the MIT News site here.

Linking Heterogeneous Climate Policies (Consistent with the Paris Agreement)

Posted on November 3rd, 2017 by tagadmin

International linkage of climate policies can play an important role in ensuring adequate climate ambition under the Paris Agreement. A new Working Paper looks at the opportunities for â€“ and barriers to â€“ linkage of heterogeneous regional, national and subnational climate policies.

New Study Finds Expected Savings from School Energy Efficiency Upgrade Outpace Actual Returns

Posted on September 27th, 2017 by tagadmin

Innovative study finds energy efficiency investments made at California public schools may not provide as much benefit as officials expected.

Fuel-efficient Cars Often Paired with Gas Guzzlers, Study Finds

Posted on September 26th, 2017 by tagadmin

A study released Tuesday by economists at UC Davis, Yale, and MIT shows that families who own fuel-efficient cars tend to buy big, powerful gas guzzlers as their second vehicle, largely defeating the purpose of the little petrol sippers in their garages.

Replacing Coal by Gas: An Effective Strategy to Reduce CO2 Emissions?

Posted on September 15th, 2017 by tagadmin

Now more than ever, natural gas is hoped to effectively help shale gas producing regions reduce their CO2 emissions, by largely replacing their coal energy input. At the same time, the domestic replacement of coal by gas releases amounts of tradable coal, whose supply meets the foreign energy demand, contributing to increase emissions in the rest of the world.

Black Carbon Problems in Transportation

Posted on August 17th, 2017 by tagadmin

Black carbon particulates in â€œsootâ€ emissions have significant detrimental impacts on public health, climate change and food production; and diesel engines in the transportation sector are a major source of such emissions. There are cost-effective technologies that can mitigate the emissions. However, a wide range of policies at all levels of government are needed to incentivize the uptake of emission-mitigating technologies.

The Behavioral Effect of Pigovian Regulation: Evidence from a Field Experiment

Posted on July 17th, 2017 by tagadmin

Market-Âbased regulation, and in particular Pigovian taxes/subsidies, have the potential to make consumers internalize socially harmful external effects associated with their choices. Recent behavioral literature, however, suggests that explicit financial penalties/rewards may undermine willingness to behave prosocially.

Modeling Unit Commitment in Political Context

Posted on May 9th, 2017 by tagadmin

Electricity sector restructuring processes can undergo long, protracted transition periods that are not well-captured in typical power systems operation models. We create a tractable dispatch optimization with important political considerations for a region of China, demonstrating interactions among institutions relevant for ongoing power sector reforms.

Early Nuclear Retirements in Deregulated U.S. Markets

Posted on April 13th, 2017 by tagadmin

U.S. nuclear reactors have been retiring at an unprecedented pace for the last few years. Tens of gigawatts of zero-emission nuclear capacity are now at risk of retiring prematurely, before the end of their operating license. We examine the root causes of this phenomena and discuss regulatory options for policymakers.

A Green Bargain? Impacts of an Energy Saving Program on China’s Iron and Steel Industry

Posted on March 21st, 2017 by tagadmin

The impact of environmental regulation on firm productivity has been long been debated, however, mainly for western economies and with limited firm-level evidence. We study the impact of a large-scale national energy saving program in China on firm productivity in the iron and steel industry and find positive effects on productivity growth.

Tropical Forests, Tipping Points, and the Social Cost of Deforestation

Posted on March 17th, 2017 by tagadmin

The existence of a forest-savanna tipping point implies that changes in forest resilience affect the marginal economic value of a standing forest. We propose a new framework for calculating the economic value of a standing tropical forest, and explore the implications of tipping points on the design of optimal land-use policy and payments for ecosystem services.

When Do States Disrupt Industries? Electric Cars in Germany and the United States

Posted on March 17th, 2017 by tagadmin

When do states drive green industrial change? We show that in mature industries with powerful incumbents the ability of the state to organize private interests in support of technological change is critical to develop innovation policy. States with competitive state-business relations can accomplish this more easily than states with cooperative state-business relations. In the case of the auto industry, the United States adopted a policy package to commercialize electric cars. Germany, instead, adopted a wait-and-see policy based on coordination with automakers.

Anticipation and Environmental Regulation

Posted on February 10th, 2017 by tagadmin

Environmental standards can affect new-equipment sales and used-equipment retirements. We identify two additional effects, of anticipation, on the flow and stock of regulated equipment, and discuss the implications for policy design and program evaluation.

Limits to Arbitrage in Electricity Markets: A case study of MISO

Posted on January 30th, 2017 by tagadmin

Like in other deregulated markets, financial players were introduced to the Midwest electricity market to arbitrage price differences that distort planning decisions. Unlike other markets, this did not seemed to be working. Instead, we find some players bidding in the wrong direction and consistently losing money, possibly in an attempt to manipulate market prices.

Wind Capacity Investments: Inefficient Drivers and Long-Term Impacts

Posted on January 23rd, 2017 by tagadmin

In a new CEEPR Working Paper, Ian Schneider and Mardavij Roozbehani explain how existing production-based subsidies for wind energy bias marginal investments to underweight the market value of energy produced.

Estimating the Future Supply of Shale Oil: A Bakken Case Study

Posted on January 19th, 2017 by tagadmin

How much shale oil do we have left? And how much of that can be recovered economically? A new estimation technique suggests that, in the Bakken play, roughly 8 billion barrels of the remaining shale oil resources could be developed at a cost of $50/barrel.

Are Fuel Economy Standards Regressive?

Posted on December 29th, 2016 by tagadmin

The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program was introduced in 1975 with the objective of reducing gasoline consumption. Under CAFE, automakers are required to meet a minimum sales-weighted average fuel economy for their vehicle fleets. Fuel economy standards impose costs, but who bears those costs?

Study Shows Hydraulic Fracturing Boosts Local Economies

Posted on December 22nd, 2016 by tagadmin

As hydraulic fracturing, or fracing, is poised to play an even more important role in the nationâ€™s energy system in coming years, how can benefits at the national scaleâ€”such as lower energy prices, enhanced energy security, and lower air pollution and greenhouse gas emissionsâ€”be weighed against concerns that negative health and social impacts outweigh the economic benefits for local communities where drilling takes place?

E2e Project Update: Evaluating Energy Efficiency Upgrades to K-12 Public Schools in California

Posted on November 16th, 2016 by tagadmin

A new working paper by Fiona Burlig, Christopher Knittel, David Rapson, Mar Reguant and Catherine Wolfram1 studies the cost-effectiveness of energy efficiency investments in over 2,000 K-12 California public schools served by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

Transatlantic Perspectives on Energy Storage: Technology, Policy and Finance

Posted on October 23rd, 2016 by tagadmin

Energy storage will play a critical role in enabling the transition to low-carbon electricity systems, providing capacity, energy, and ancillary benefits to help secure a stable and reliable power supply. But even as the technology horizon evolves, the value of different storage technologies remains uncertain.

Lower Oil Prices and the U.S. Economy: Is This Time Different?

Posted on October 8th, 2016 by tagadmin

Between June 2014 and March 2016, the inflation-adjusted price of oil dropped by 66%, yet average U.S. economic growth accelerated only slightly from 1.8% at annual rates before the oil price decline to 2.2% thereafter. The fact that this decline in the price of oil failed to translate into faster U.S. economic growth has puzzled many observers who expected a boom in the U.S. economy.

Efficiency and Equity in Todayâ€™s Environmental Policy

Posted on September 30th, 2016 by tagadmin

The economics rationale for environmental regulation is simple and strong: private decisions about how much to pollute lead to socially undesirable levels of pollution. We need policy to correct this flaw in markets. The question is, which policies?

Predicting the Unpredictable â€“ Handling Uncertainty in Energy Economics and Management

Posted on September 12th, 2016 by tagadmin

Together with partners from German utility and CEEPR Associate Energie Baden-WÃ¼rttemberg AG (EnBW), the University of Duisburg-Essen and the Stiftung Energie & Klimaschutz, MIT CEEPR organized a conference on September 8th and 9th, 2016 to discuss analytical tools and decision making strategies for dealing with uncertainty in energy policy, economics and management.

The Economics of Unconventional Oil Development

Posted on September 1st, 2016 by tagadmin

According to the latest energy outlook from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, tight oil production was 4.28 Mb/d for 2014 and 4.89 Mb/d for 2015. It is projected to fall to 4.27 Mb/d for 2016. A recent CEEPR working paper by Robert Kleinberg, Sergey Paltsev, Charles Ebinger, David Hobbs, and Tim Boersma offers an investigation into this phenomenon.

The Rise of NGO Activism

Posted on July 12th, 2016 by tagadmin

In a recent MIT CEEPR working paper, we start with the observation that, since the mid-twentieth century, public regulators have lost public trust. Recent catastrophes, such as the global financial crisis, the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling rig, and the Fukushima disaster, have reinforced this dynamic, raising questions about the independence of the agencies involved.

2016 CEEPR-EPRG European Energy Policy Conference

Posted on July 10th, 2016 by tagadmin

On July 7th and 8th, 2016, CEEPR cooperated with EPRG and ElectricitÃ© de France to convene the 2016 European Energy Policy Conference in Paris, France. Over 70 participants from research, industry, and the public sector converged at the historic George C. Marshall Center for a varied program covering key topics in the energy and environmental policy arena.

2016 Spring Research Workshop

Posted on May 30th, 2016 by tagadmin

In the development of energy and environmental policy, cooperation between research, industry and policy making is critical. This message was central to the work presented and discussed at the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR) 2016 Spring Research Workshop.

MIT joins Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition

Posted on May 20th, 2016 by tagadmin

MIT has formally joined the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, a global partnership of governments, businesses, and civil society organizations working together with the goal of applying a price on carbon emissions, the predominant cause of climate change.

Emissions Trading in North America and Beyond

Posted on May 10th, 2016 by tagadmin

Against the backdrop of a recent U.S.-Canada Joint Statement on Climate, Energy, and Arctic Leadership that emphasized the role of carbon trading in North American climate cooperation, MIT CEEPR convened a timely high-level event on the prospects for emissions trading and carbon market linkage in Canada and the United States.

University Energy Initiative Symposium

Posted on May 1st, 2016 by tagadmin

On April 29, 2016, CEEPR and the Alfred P. Sloan foundation convened a symposium for the leadership and management of major energy economics and policy research initiatives across the United States.

The E2e Project Awarded $5 Million Grant to Evaluate New Advanced Energy Monitoring System

Posted on April 24th, 2016 by tagadmin

The E2e Project is in the process of launching the largest demonstration and evaluation of an innovative energy monitoring system for industrial facilities.

Energy Scenarios: The Value and Limits of Scenario Analysis

Posted on April 15th, 2016 by tagadmin

Energy scenarios are a useful tool for industry experts, government officials, academic researchers and the general public to assist in policy-making, planning and investment decisions. Such scenarios provide projections on a wide range of issues, including production, consumption, trade, prices, investments, technology mixes, and many others.

OPEC vs U.S. Shale: Analyzing the Shift to a Market-share Strategy

Posted on April 8th, 2016 by tagadmin

In 2014, global oil supply overtook demand and the oil price started to decline. In its November 2014 meeting, OPEC decided not to reduce supply and prices fell further. In its December 2015 meeting, OPEC reiterated its commitment to a â€œmarket-shareâ€ strategy. Many have opined on whether or not OPECâ€™s moves are sensible.

The Impact of Uncertainty on Capacity Remuneration Mechanisms

Posted on March 12th, 2016 by tagadmin

Intermittent energy resources increase the volatility of energy supply as well as the associated market clearing prices, creating uncertainty around when the system will experience â€œscarcityâ€â€” the very few hours of the year when capacity is strained exhibiting prices high-enough to cover a large portion of the capital and fixed operation and maintenance costs incurred by all types of installed generation capacity.

Will We Ever Stop Using Fossil Fuels?

Posted on February 5th, 2016 by tagadmin

On the heels of a historic climate agreement in Paris, a new study published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives sheds light on the worldâ€™s ability to stop using fossil fuels. Its conclusion: fossil fuel consumption is likely to continue growing without clear and decisive global action to introduce an adequate price on greenhouse gas emissions and increase research and development spending toward clean energy technologies.

A Review of the Value of Aggregators in Electricity Systems

Posted on January 17th, 2016 by tagadmin

Electricity systems are currently facing significant changes as a result of the deployment of information and communication technologies (ICTs), power electronics, and distributed energy resources (e.g., gas-fired distributed generation, solar PV, small wind farms, electric vehicles, energy storage, and demand response). Given the small scale of these technologies, many industry stakeholders claim that aggregators can create economic value by enabling DERs to provide these services at scale.

2015 Fall Research Workshop

Posted on December 5th, 2015 by tagadmin

Held in Cambridge, Massachusetts on November 19 and 20, the 2015 Fall Research Workshop brought together over 80 participants for a lively discussion of relevant issues in the broader energy and environmental policy arena.

Expectations for the Upcoming Paris Climate Summit

Posted on November 7th, 2015 by tagadmin

On November 5, the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR) joined the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change and the Program on Science, Technology, and Society at Harvard University to convene a discussion on the upcoming United Nations Climate Change summit in Paris.

Evaluating Regulation Outcomes

Posted on October 22nd, 2015 by tagadmin

On October 21, Richard Schmalensee, Professor and Dean Emeritus at the MIT Sloan School of Management and former CEEPR Director, spoke at a seminar hosted by Resources for the Future in Washington, D.C.

Ten years of the Renewable Fuel Standard

Posted on October 21st, 2015 by tagadmin

In October, a group of experts gathered at the Brookings Institute to discuss the Renewable Fuel Standard, a policy to promote biofuels that was enacted ten years ago. Participants in the event assessed the success of the legislation and evaluated its effects on greenhouse gas emissions, food prices, and fuel prices.

Natural Gas Prices and Coal Displacement: Evidence from Electricity Markets

Posted on October 15th, 2015 by tagadmin

A recent CEEPR working paper uses data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Energy Information Administration (EIA) along with market models to provide an in depth look at the environmental and operational effects of fuel price changes on electricity generators.

New Study Shedding Light on the Political Economy of Renewable Energy Promotion Policies

Posted on September 11th, 2015 by tagadmin

A newly published study co-authored by Christopher R. Knittel shows how the asymmetric distribution of costs and benefits of the 2005 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has implications for voting behavior and climate policy choices.

Tom Sudmann Therkildsen

Posted on September 10th, 2015 by tagadmin

With great sadness, MIT CEEPR faculty and staff learned of the passing of a long-time friend and supporter, Tom Therkildsen of Statoil ASA. â€œTom was one of our most thoughtful and engaged
partners in the energy industryâ€“ he will be sorely missedâ€, said CEEPR Director Christopher Knittel.

The Economics and Geopolitics of Natural Gas

Posted on September 7th, 2015 by tagadmin

On September 7, 2015, MIT CEEPR Senior Research Scientist Sergey Paltsev visited
Istanbul, Turkey, for an invited lecture on the economics and geopolitics of natural
gas at Sabanci University.

EPRG-CEEPR European Energy Policy Conference 2015

Posted on July 15th, 2015 by tagadmin

On July 9 and 10, CEEPR and EPRG joined forces with Royal Dutch Shell plc to host the
15th installment of the European Energy Policy Conference in London,United Kingdom. Reflecting the disruptive trends affecting various areas of the energy sector, and acknowledging
the importance of the upcoming international climate summit in Paris (COP21), the organizers titled the 2015 conference â€œBuilding a Sustainable Future Energy System: More Energy, Better Energy Management, Less CO2â€.

2015 Spring Workshop

Posted on May 23rd, 2015 by tagadmin

On May 21 and 22, the 2015 Spring Research Workshop brought together around 70 participants for a timely discussion of trends and developments in the energy space.

Faculty Affiliate: Georgia Perakis, William F. Pounds Professor of Management Professor

Posted on May 12th, 2015 by tagadmin

MITâ€™s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research is delighted to welcome a new faculty affiliate: Georgia Perakis, the William F. Pounds Professor of Management and a Professor of Operations Research and Operations Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Subsidies for Green Technology: The Role of Competition and Flexibility

Posted on May 12th, 2015 by tagadmin

Two recent working papers co-authored by Georgia Perakis, the William F. Pounds Professor of Operations Research at the MIT Sloan School of Management and an affiliate of CEEPR examine such factors by addressing the role of competition and flexibility in the application of green technology subsidies.

The MIT Future of Solar Energy Study Released

Posted on May 5th, 2015 by tagadmin

On May 5, 2015, the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) released a comprehensive new study titled The Future of Solar Energy. As with earlier installments of the highly regarded MIT â€œFuture of â€¦ â€œ report series, several CEEPR faculty and research affiliates were involved in the elaboration of the study, contributing economic and policy insights to a multidisciplinary, multi-year research effort. Former CEEPR Director Richard Schmalensee, a Professor of Economics and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, served as the studyâ€™s chair.

CEEPR Recognized Among World’s Top Energy Policy Think Tanks

Posted on May 4th, 2015 by tagadmin

For the third year in a row, CEEPR has placed among the top 10 “Energy and Resource Policy Think Tanks in the annual Global Go To Think Tank Index Report

Pricing Carbon to Combat Climate Change – What Can We Learn from British Columbia?

Posted on April 24th, 2015 by tagadmin

Sound climate policy makes for good politics. In a nutshell, that was the message conveyed by a high-ranking delegation of government, civil society and business representatives from British Columbia, who discussed experiences with their province’s carbon tax at an Earth Day Colloquium organized on April 13, 2015 by the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEPR). More than 200 participants convened in the Walker Memorial’s spacious Morss Hall to hear first-hand how British Columbia was able to introduce a carbon price, and what effects it has had on the local economy and the environment. Comments by MIT faculty and a local State Senator underscored the economic merits of carbon pricing and its prospects as a policy option for Massachusetts.

Unconventional Oil & Gas: Price Impacts and Geopolitical Implications

Posted on April 22nd, 2015 by tagadmin

On April 22, 2015, CEEPR and the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) convened a
symposium to address the latest developments in unconventional hydrocarbon exploration, its effects on oil and natural gas markets, and broader geopolitical implications.

Conflicting Objectives: How the Cash for Clunkers Stimulus Program Reduced New Vehicle Spending

Posted on April 8th, 2015 by tagadmin

Implemented in the midst of the 2009 recession, the U.S. Cash for Clunkers program aimed to boost sales in the struggling automobile industry. A recent CEEPR working paper by Hoekstra, Puller, and West (HPW, 2015) finds that this multifaceted program design actually caused Cash for Clunkers to reduce overall revenues to the industry the policy was designed to help.

OPEC’s Pricing vs. the Carbon Tax

Posted on April 1st, 2015 by tagadmin

In a recent CEEPR working paper, Saraly Andrade de SÃ¡ and Julien Daubanes combine empirical estimates to establish that the demand for OPECâ€™s oil exhibits a less-than-one demand elasticity, in contradiction with the widely-used approach to OPECâ€™s market power.

When Financial Trading Only Makes Things Worse

Posted on February 18th, 2015 by tagadmin

Working with four colleagues in DAS, Dr. John E. Parsons completed a study of a unique type of financial trading known as Virtual Bidding. The research helps understand certain situations in which virtual bidding not only fails to improve system performance, but also adds to system costs.

Soft Cooperation in the Shadow of Distributional Conflict? Insights from the Climate Regime

Posted on February 10th, 2015 by tagadmin

In climate diplomacy, negotiators frequently reject â€œtechnicalâ€ initiatives that only require simple coordination, despite the affordable reputational gains they may gain from cooperation. Motivated by this puzzle, Dr. Antto Vihma and Dr. Johannes Urpelainen developed a formal model to analyze negotiation dynamics.

2014 Fall Research Workshop

Posted on November 22nd, 2014 by tagadmin

A balanced mix of current themes in the energy and environmental policy debate
featured at CEEPRâ€™s 2014 Fall Research Workshop, held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on November 20 and 21, 2014.

WGBH: CEEPR’s Knittel Explains Energy Price Fluctuations

Posted on November 12th, 2014 by tagadmin

CEEPR Director Christopher Knittel gives an interview on WGBH radio on energy prices…

EPA Clean Power Plan: Cross-state Coordination Key to Cost-effective Mitigation

Posted on November 1st, 2014 by tagadmin

Last June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule to limit carbon dioxide emissions from existing U.S. power plants. A new article published in Science magazine on 14 November 2014 and co-authored by CEEPR Director Christopher R. Knittel examines how key design features of the proposed rule might affect its environmental effectiveness, and offers recommendations to help minimize the economic costs of compliance.

CEEPR Experts Weigh In on Proposed EPA Carbon Regulation

Posted on July 1st, 2014 by tagadmin

National media outlets turned to CEEPR experts for early reactions on the EPA’s proposed rulemaking on carbon emissions from existing power plants, issued in early June.

CEEPR’s Greenstone Comments on Potential Downside of Natural Gas

Posted on June 3rd, 2014 by tagadmin

CEEPR faculty affiliate Michael Greenstone was cited in a New York Times article on the potential impacts of abundant natural gas on the environment.

Morris Adelman, CEEPR Faculty Affiliate since its Founding in 1977, Passes Away at 96

Posted on May 1st, 2014 by tagadmin

Morris Albert Adelman, a giant in the field of energy economics and a faculty member in the MIT Department of Economics for 40 years, died on May 8 at the age of 96.

Calculating the Costs of Pollution

Posted on April 24th, 2014 by tagadmin

In a column in the Los Angeles Times, CEEPR faculty Michael Greenstone, with Francesca Dominici and Cass Sunstein of Harvard University commented on the recent decision by a US Court of Appeals over the EPA

Dr. John Parsons joins the Global Markets Advisory Committee of the CFTC

Posted on February 5th, 2014 by tagadmin

CEEPRâ€™s Executive Director, Dr. John Parsons, was recently appointed to the Global Markets Advisory Committee of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The CFTC is the US government agency responsible for supervising most derivatives trading in the US, including the energy and agriculture commodity derivatives markets.

Study: Ethanol not a major factor in reducing gas prices

Posted on December 10th, 2013 by tagadmin

If you have stopped at a gas station recently, there is a good chance your auto has consumed fuel with ethanol blended into it. Yet the price of gasoline is not substantially affected by the volume of its ethanol content, according to a paper co-authored by an MIT economist.

An experiment puts auditing under scrutiny

Posted on October 19th, 2013 by tagadmin

The structure of the auditing business appears problematic: Typically, major companies pay auditors to examine their books under the so-called

Climate Change Policy: What do the Models Tell Us?

Posted on September 15th, 2013 by tagadmin

Professor Robert Pindyck has a new working paper (CEEPR-WP-2013-007) that has attracted a good share of attention since it steps into the highly charged debate on the reliability of research related to climate change.

Innovative study estimates extent to which air pollution in China shortens human lives

Posted on July 8th, 2013 by tagadmin

A high level of air pollution, in the form of particulates produced by burning coal, significantly shortens the lives of people exposed to it, according to a unique new study of China co-authored by an MIT economist.

MIT and UC Berkeley launch energy-efficiency research project

Posted on June 18th, 2013 by tagadmin

The E2e Project aims to give decision-makers real-world evidence on the most cost-effective ways to reduce energy and emissions.

Climate Change Policy that Makes Economic Sense

Posted on April 10th, 2013 by tagadmin

In this Faculty Forum Online broadcast, Chris Knittel discussed his studies of consumer and company reactions to energy price fluctuations and the implications of this work for effective environmental policies.

The Economics of Keystone XL

Posted on March 21st, 2013 by tagadmin

Would the approval and construction of the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta, Canada to the US Gulf Coast lead to increased emissions?

E2e Project to Provide Much-Needed Energy Efficiency Research

Posted on February 28th, 2013 by tagadmin

In a column in USA Today, CEEPR co-Director Christopher Knittel writes that more research into energy efficiency is needed if Americans are to meet the energy efficiency goal set by President Obama in his State of the Union Address.

Economics Doctoral Students

Posted on December 1st, 2012 by tagadmin

MIT Economics doctoral students are researching a wide range of energy and environmental policy issues. Pictured above, from left to right, are Joseph Shapiro, Manasi Abhay Deshpande and Jennifer Peck.

Briefing on the BP Statistical Review of World Energy

Posted on June 18th, 2012 by tagadmin

For more than 60 years the BP Statistical Review of World Energy has published some of the most comprehensive analysis on global energy markets.

CFTC Roundtable on the Proposed Volcker Rule

Posted on June 1st, 2012 by tagadmin

CEEPR Executive Director Dr. John Parsons

Pushing Forward by Looking Back

Posted on May 10th, 2012 by tagadmin

Michael Greenstone writes in the Washington Post that President Obama

Professor Christopher Knittel

Posted on March 5th, 2012 by tagadmin

Knittel is the William Barton Rogers Professor of Energy Economics at the MIT Sloan School of Management, having joined MIT earlier this year.

Future of Electric Grid Report

Posted on December 5th, 2011 by tagadmin

On Monday, December 5th, members of the MIT study team presented the results of The Future of the Electric Grid: An MIT Interdisciplinary Study at the National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC.

CEEPR PhD Students

Posted on October 15th, 2011 by tagadmin

Anna Agarwal is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and is also pursuing a M.S. in the Technology and Policy Program. Her research focus is on risk management and the commercial structuring of the CCS (carbon capture and storage) value chain.

Future of Natural Gas Report

Posted on September 4th, 2011 by tagadmin

MIT has completed a multi-year study on the Future of Natural Gas. This report updates an interim report released in June 2010.

Future of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Report Release

Posted on April 8th, 2011 by tagadmin

MIT has completed a 3-year study on the Future of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. The study addresses two overarching questions: (1) What are the long-term desirable fuel cycle options and (2) What are the implications for near-term policy choices?

IAP Lecture Series Power Systems Economics: Theories and Reality

Posted on January 15th, 2011 by tagadmin

Dr. Jean-Pierre Hansen will teach the IAP course

CEEPR Workshop in Tokyo

Posted on October 5th, 2010 by tagadmin

CEEPR and MITâ€™s Joint Program, together with Japanâ€™s Institute of Energy Economics (IEEJ) co-hosted a Workshop on energy and climate change policy in Tokyo on September 30-October 1, 2010. The Workshop took place in the Keidanren Kaikan.

Smart Grid Seminar

Posted on August 3rd, 2010 by tagadmin

On August 3, 2010, Dr. Zhaoguang Hu, Vice President and Chief Energy Specialist at the State Grid Energy Research Institute and head of the Power Supply and Demand Research Laboratory, presented a seminar titled

Symposium in honor of Henry D. Jacoby

Posted on April 19th, 2010 by tagadmin

Please join MIT’s Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change on JUNE 24 at an Afternoon Symposium to honor and pay tribute to Program Co-Founder and Co-Director, Professor Henry D. “Jake” Jacoby.

Just published: Pricing Carbon

Posted on April 1st, 2010 by tagadmin

The first attempt by any group of nations to establish a hard limit on greenhouse gas emissions

Independent Activities Period (IAP) at MIT

Posted on January 3rd, 2010 by tagadmin

January is Independent Activities Period (IAP) at MIT. Students at MIT

MIT Economics Ph.D. students

Posted on October 10th, 2009 by tagadmin

MIT Economics Ph.D. students are researching a wide range of energy and environmental policy issues. Pictured above, from left to right, are Mar Reguant, Tatyana Deryugina, Nicholas Ryan and Joseph Shapiro.

CEEPR Research Assistants

Posted on June 10th, 2009 by tagadmin

Student participation in CEEPR research is integral to MIT educational mission.

MITEI Celebrates 70th Birthday of Professor John Deutch

Posted on April 19th, 2009 by tagadmin

On Thursday, April 16, MITEI celebrated the 70th birthday of Institute Professor John Deutch by holding a symposium in recognition of his significant contributions over the last 40 years in the field of chemistry and physics, his role in national security and energy policy, as well as his years of governance at MIT.

CEEPR Visiting Professors

Posted on January 1st, 2009 by tagadmin

CEEPR will host 2 Visiting Professors at MIT to collaborate and work on energy research.

Richard Schmalensee to be new Director of CEEPR

Posted on September 1st, 2008 by tagadmin

Richard Schmalensee takes over as CEEPR Director as of September 2008. Most recently, Professor Schmalensee served as the John C Head III Dean of MIT

CEEPR Hosts Workshop in Washington D.C.

Posted on February 3rd, 2008 by tagadmin

In January 2008, CEEPR hosted a workshop in Washington DC on the European CO2 Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) as part of a project funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Professor Joskow heads to the Sloan Foundation

Posted on December 2nd, 2007 by tagadmin

Long time CEEPR Director, Professor Paul Joskow, has resigned his position in order to become President of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

BP Funds Energy Conversion Research

Posted on September 1st, 2007 by tagadmin

CEEPR is collaborating with professors in a number of engineering disciplines on a research program that will explore the conversion of low-value carbon feedstocks such as petcoke and coal to high-value products such as electricity, liquid fuels and chemicals while minimizing carbon dioxide emissions.