Research that Informs Business and Public Policy
Wildfire devastation mandates rethinking how electricity providers should be organized With pathbreaking policies in renewable energy, energy efficiency and electric vehicles, California has been on the leading edge of climate … Continue Reading Stabilizing Utilities in an Unstable Climate
Mexico’s gasoline shortages and the lessons of the U.S. gasoline crises of the 1970s. Drivers in eight Mexican states are facing around-the-block queues to buy gasoline this week. Many stations … Continue Reading Why Economists Can’t Stand Shortages
The economics of the emerging platform. I’ve heard a lot about the Green New Deal since the midterm elections. And, it’s not just me – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the freshwoman Representative … Continue Reading What’s the Deal with the Green New Deal?
The sensor revolution takes on air pollution. A few months ago, our family invested in our own air quality monitor. This little sensor has made invisible air pollution visible. And … Continue Reading My New Pollution Monitor: Gimmick or Game Changer?
Rooftop solar, gasoline price mystery, bike-sharing and more. The Energy Institute Blog plays a unique, and I believe important, role in the energy field. Each week one of our contributors, … Continue Reading 2018’s Most Popular Blog Posts
Restrictions targeted at the newest road users are unfair and inefficient For years, Bob has been driving around the city to get to work, run errands, and see friends. The … Continue Reading Lyft Doesn’t Cause Congestion, All Vehicles Do
Environmental damages from U.S. power plants are down $100+ billion annually since 2010. Remember 2010? It was not so long ago. Obama was President. The iPhone 4 was introduced. The … Continue Reading U.S. Power Plant Emissions Down 45% Since 2010
New paper shows that electricity generators exercise significant market power when temperatures rise! Mr. Burns is a beloved character on the Simpsons. While most humans think of him as the … Continue Reading It’s Gettin’ Hot, So I’m Gonna Raise Prices!
An inventor, fracking, history and the future. If you have been following this blog for a while, you know that we rotate Mondays. And, if you’ve been following it for … Continue Reading 2018 Energy Books
First consumers “Cut the Cord.” Now will they “Plug the Pipe”? It’s getting cold outside. Of course that’s the moment that all furnaces take a turn for the worst. Mine … Continue Reading Electricity Makes a Run at Home Heating
Ignoring health benefits of air quality improvements costs everyone We’re all suffering from post-election exhaustion. As we slip back into business-as-usual, it’s tempting to pay less attention to the politics … Continue Reading Air Pollution Co-Benefits Matter
Today EVs are driven much less than other cars, which has big implications for the environment. Where in the country you drive an electric vehicle matters a lot for the … Continue Reading All Charged Up, No Place to Go
A new policy proposal uses bad science to undermine the Social Cost of Carbon. The most important number in environmental economics that most people have never heard of is called … Continue Reading Whose Climate Damages Should Count?
Covering roofs with solar panels will block cool roofs. Have you heard of cool roofs? The idea is that if we paint a lot of roofs white, or generally make … Continue Reading How Should We Use Our Roofs?
This year, it will drain over $3 billion from the pockets of Californians. We need to find out why. I have written before on this blog about the mystery surcharge, … Continue Reading Trying to Unpack California’s Mystery Gasoline Surcharge
Could California’s ambitious zero carbon electricity policy make it harder to cut greenhouse gasses overall? Sometimes two ideas that seem joined at the hip end up butting heads. A couple … Continue Reading 100% of What?
