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About the Environment, Energy, and Economic Development Program

ISE's Environment, Energy, and Economic Development program conducts research and analysis for federal, state, non-profit, and private-sector clients on the interrelated issues of the environment, natural resources, energy, and economic development. Projects address environmental quality and regulation, energy resources and systems, water resources and systems, climate, agriculture, oceans, natural hazards and disasters, and economic development.

Selected News and Publications

Major Technology Progress Needed for 25 Percent Renewable Energy Use to Be Affordable — Jun. 24, 2008

wind power turbines

Dramatic progress in renewable energy technology is needed if the United States desires to produce 25 percent of its electricity and motor vehicle fuel from renewable sources by 2025 without significantly increasing consumer costs.

Long, Unpredictable Delays Found in Louisiana 'The Road Home' Grants to Homeowners — May 27, 2008

Woman by trailer, photo courtesy of FEMA.gov - John Fleck

Louisiana homeowners who sought federally-funded grants through “The Road Home” program for homes damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have had to wait more than eight months on average to receive grants.

Economic Progress of Allegheny County Could be Enhanced by Government Consolidation — Apr. 3, 2008

Pittsburgh Downtown

The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania could enhance the economic progress of the region if its governments are consolidated, although evidence of such gains in other consolidations is mixed.

Identifying & Reducing Climate-Change Vulnerabilities in Water-Management Plans — Jan. 31, 2008

Water resources

Climate change will affect water supplies in California, but few water-management agencies have formally included it in their plans. Robust decisionmaking methods can help identify vulnerabilities related to climate change and evaluate the most effective options for managing those risks.

Estimating the Value of Water-Use Efficiency in the Intermountain West — Jan. 10, 2008

River in the northwest

Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of water-efficiency programs can be difficult, because not all the benefits are easily quantified. An economic framework based on two tools from the California Urban Water Conservation Council helps estimate the avoided costs and environmental benefits of increasing water-use efficiency.

Benefits and Costs of Increased Water-Use Efficiency in Commercial Buildings — October 24, 2007

Image of a faucet.

This report suggests ways for the owners of commercial buildings to determine how to invest in water-efficient equipment, and uses two configurations of the current RAND headquarters as a case study.

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