Research that Informs Business and Public Policy
Lessons learned from our last go-round with energy efficiency stimulus spending. Last week it was reported that 1 in 4 American workers have filed for unemployment benefits during this pandemic. … Continue Reading The Search for Good Green Stimulus
How do we foster innovation to solve COVID-19 and climate change? Ten days ago the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency approval for remdesivir. It’s too soon to know … Continue Reading Remdesivir, Low-Carbon Energy, and the Origins of Innovation
Lower trade barriers on dirty industries effectively subsidize climate change. Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash In my new working paper and cool accompanying video released today, I assess how international … Continue Reading International Trade Policies Subsidize Pollution
In the face of global uncertainty, policymakers should consider multiple scenarios for the future of electric vehicles. Climate policy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic is tricky. Many people are struggling through … Continue Reading Energizing the Electric Car Market After the Crisis
Can we squeeze some long-run good out of this short-run disaster? The coronavirus has upended life in my household. I’m now toggling between teaching first-grade math and undergraduate economics, and … Continue Reading COVID-19 and the Climate
Economists can’t predict the future, but economics can help improve policy today. Oil markets aren’t the first thing that hardly anyone thinks about when reading updates on the novel coronavirus. … Continue Reading Oil Market Impacts of COVID-19
Air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have increased during the Trump presidency. The EPA just released the latest greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory. This is a massive report and public dataset … Continue Reading Is This a Trump Bump?
Millennials, carbon pricing, falling solar prices and Greta Thunberg topped our most-read list. I’m often asked, “Who actually writes the Energy Institute’s blog posts?” These questioners expect to hear that … Continue Reading Top 10 Blog Posts for 2019
The best customer response depends on how much utilities can reduce their frequency. The rains have arrived in California and wildfire season has ended, temporarily. But fire risks will be … Continue Reading Preparing for Next Year’s Power Shutoffs
New paper ranks 219 countries and 1,692 cities based on air conditioning potential. Air conditioner sales are booming worldwide, especially in warm countries with growing economies. But how big is … Continue Reading Heat Exposure and Global Air Conditioning
Regional market coordination delivers a win for climate change mitigation. There’s an important experiment underway in the Western United States as we inject more and more renewable energy into the … Continue Reading The Little Energy Market That Could
It won’t reduce energy use much, but it can fundamentally alter where that energy comes from. A decade ago, there seemed to be a Kumbaya trend in climate policy. Politicians … Continue Reading What Can Carbon Pricing Do?
A new book explores the precipitous decline. One of the most remarkable trends in energy economics over the last 50 years is the tremendous reduction in solar photovoltaic (PV) prices. … Continue Reading What Drove Solar PV Price Reductions?
A young “Climate Warrior” sails into New York with a powerful message. Christopher Columbus in 1492 found some evidence supporting the theory that the Earth is actually round. (Pythagoras “a … Continue Reading The Economic Case For Greta Thunberg
Will we hamstring climate change mitigation to pay for adaptation? Our lush California spring has turned to a hot and dry summer. Fire season is upon us, and this has … Continue Reading What Wildfire Costs Will Depend on How We Pay
What would the Lorax say about today’s forest offsets? The race is on. Democratic presidential candidates are jockeying for position. And climate change is emerging as a top priority. Jay … Continue Reading Are Trees Getting Too Much Climate Credit…or Not Enough?
