Projecting the Fuel Efficiency of Conventional Vehicles: The Role of Regulations, Gasoline Taxes and Autonomous Technical Change

The fuel efficiency of conventional private vehicles is a key input in the design of several economic and environmental policies. Reliable projections of the fuel efficiency variable can improve estimates on the future emission savings from policies promoting vehicle replacement, and on future revenues from fuel taxes. This paper examines the evolution of fuel efficiency using data on cars entering the US market from 1984 to 2020. It uses a series of new indexes for the gasoline cost in OECD countries and the stringency of fuel economy regulations. The paper shows that the effect of fuel prices and taxes is …

World Energy Employment Report

The inaugural edition of the World Energy Employment Report is – to the best of our knowledge – the first comprehensive inventory of the global energy workforce.

The report presents new estimates of the size and distribution of the labour force, across regions and technologies, and increases the granularity on the number of workers along the entire energy value chain. This includes fossil fuel and bioenergy production; power sector generation, transmission, distribution and storage; and end uses, including vehicles and energy efficiency for buildings and industry. It also details segments of the value chain where these jobs are located, including …

Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is a hybrid carbon removal solution that integrates both nature- and tech-based processes. BECCS involves capturing carbon dioxide in plants, converting it into power, heat, or fuel, and then storing subsequent carbon emissions in rock formations (a process known as dedicated geologic storage) or using them to make carbon-based products. Not all forms of BECCS result in net carbon removal — many factors must be taken into consideration, including the source and type of biomass, transportation requirements, efficiency of conversion processes, and end use of captured carbon.…

State Energy and Environment Guide to Action: Electricity Resource Planning and Procurement

Most states require utilities to engage in electricity resource planning to substantiate that the utility’s plans for meeting demand for electricity services are in the public interest. Planning varies greatly by state but is typically accomplished through processes set by the state utility regulator, often called a public utility commission (PUC), through a docketed proceeding with public involvement. Plans consider future customer needs, available resources to meet those needs, costs, benefits, and risks over the long term. The planning processes provide stakeholders a forum to submit feedback on resource options and offer states an opportunity to accelerate progress towards environmental, …

State Energy and Environment Guide to Action: Electric Utility Regulatory Frameworks and Financial Incentives

Electric utility regulatory frameworks and financial incentives can address barriers to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and distributed energy resources (DERs) that are inherent in traditional utility regulatory models. Legislatures and electric utility regulators (often called public utility commissions) in many states are refining or replacing traditional utility financial policies to encourage utility actions and programs aligned with state policy goals. These states are adopting regulatory frameworks and financial incentives including revenue decoupling, multi-year rate plans (MYRPs), performance-based regulation (PBR), and performance incentive mechanisms (PIMs).

This chapter discusses state utility regulatory policies and financial incentives that address the throughput incentive and …

Advanced Energy Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

On Friday, August 12, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (H.R. 5376, the “IRA”) passed the U.S. House of Representatives, the final stop in the legislative process before it arrives at President Biden’s desk for his signature. With over $396 billion in direct federal investments in advanced energy, transportation, and manufacturing, the IRA represents the largest climate and clean energy bill in US history – as well as one of the latest pieces of industrial policy. The legislation covers the waterfront of advanced energy technologies, providing support in the form of tax credits, loan guarantees, and grants to bolster the production …

Hydrogen Production from Carbon-Free Nuclear Energy

As governments and private sector leaders consider solutions to decarbonize the global energy matrix in order to address climate change, hydrogen has increasingly emerged as one promising pathway to net-zero emissions. The world’s most abundant element is an energy carrier that can be used not only to store energy, but also to decarbonize hard-to-abate energy sectors, such as transportation, power, industry, and buildings.

The unique characteristics of nuclear energy allow it to pair with low-cost, high efficiency hydrogen production processes which facilitates nuclear hydrogen production’s economic competitiveness. In this way, nuclear energy can be a catalyst for a clean hydrogen …

Securing the Energy Transition Against Cyber Threats

Today, a fleet of digital devices is necessary to balance the power grid and supply electric power to the nation. Energy production and distribution will only increase its reliance on these digital technologies as energy systems continue to shift toward low-emissions and high-efficiency technologies. To deliver reliable, abundant, low-cost, high-efficiency, low-emissions energy, the energy sector must be defended against disruption by cyber threats that range from criminal to geopolitical.

The recommendations offered by this Task Force would strengthen American cybersecurity readiness in the energy sector. Aligning federal agencies with the needed authorities for current and future energy markets, would close …

On the History and Future of 100% Renewable Energy Systems Research

Research on 100% renewable energy systems is a relatively recent phenomenon. It was initiated in the mid-1970s, catalyzed by skyrocketing oil prices. Since the mid-2000s, it has quickly evolved into a prominent research field encompassing an expansive and growing number of research groups and organizations across the world. The main conclusion of most of these studies is that 100% renewables is feasible worldwide at low cost. Advanced concepts and methods now enable the field to chart realistic as well as cost- or resource-optimized and efficient transition pathways to a future without the use of fossil fuels. Such proposed pathways in …

Busting the Myths around Public Investment in Clean Energy

Critics have opposed clean energy public investment by claiming that governments must not pick winners, green subsidies enable rent-seeking behaviour, and failed companies means failed policy. These arguments are problematic and should not determine the direction of energy investment policies. 

A slew of recent studies has made clear that the pathways to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 demand significant re-gearing of the global economy — which will require major governmental funding across the world. These public investments need to go beyond research and development — and support technology demonstration, manufacturing, and deployment as well as energy efficiency and …