High oil prices and growing worries about climate change have heightened interest in alternative and renewable energy sources, but these frequently cost more than fossil fuels. RAND has explored the feasibility of using renewable resources such as wind power and ethanol to reduce CO2 emissions and enhance energy security, and analyzed the likely effects of such technologies on consumer energy costs.
Energy plays a vital role in the success of the global economy, but obtaining and using energy can also impact the environment. RAND researchers in the Environment, Energy, and Economic Development Program help policymakers worldwide make informed decisions on meeting their nations' energy needs while mitigating long-term life cycle environmental risks.
COMMENTARY
Technological development challenges suggest that it is highly unlikely that advanced approaches for producing hydrotreated renewable oils suitable for military applications will constitute an important fraction of the commercial fuel market until well beyond the next decade, writes Keith Crane.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) is an important social goal to mitigate climate change. A common mitigation paradigm is to consider strategy "wedges" that can be applied to different activities to achieve desired GHG reductions.
PROJECT
CUBE 2.0, an update of the 2010 release of the 1.0 version, allows users to estimate the "farm-to-gate" greenhouse gas emissions of biomass feedstocks for energy production, as well as the uncertainty in these emissions.
REPORT
U.S. Army installation energy costs around the globe totaled more than $1.2 billion in 2010. Collaborating with energy utility companies could help the Army to decrease energy usage, lower costs, and meet legislative mandates. The benefits for utility companies include energy conservation and support for renewable energy technologies.
RESEARCH BRIEF
Explores how the Army can improve collaboration with utility companies to reduce energy consumption on its installations and help meet other Army energy goals.
REPORT
Biomass is an increasingly important source of electricity, heat, and liquid fuel. One near-term option for using it to generate electricity is to cofire biomass in coal-fired electricity plants. Factors to consider are plant-site modifications, changes in operations, costs, and logistical issues with delivering biomass to the plant.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
This paper provides a framework for incorporating uncertainty analysis specifically into estimates of the life cycle GHG emissions from the production of biomass.
REPORT
Document submitted on June 29, 2011 as an addendum to testimony presented before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 7, 2011.
REPORT
Testimony presented before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 7, 2011.
REPORT
Achieving the potential economic and national security benefits offered by alternative fuels requires that their domestic production must be an appreciable fraction of domestic demand for liquid fuels. Alternative fuels derived from oil shale and coal have the potential to meet that important criterion.
REPORT
Testimony presented before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Energy and Power on May 5, 2011.
PERIODICAL
This RAND Review cover story describes RAND's research and analysis of sexual orientation and U.S. military personnel policy relating to the likely repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'
REPORT
U.S. power plants seek to diversify their fuel sources and biomass energy is a renewable resource that generally has lower life-cycle greenhouse-gas emissions than fossil fuels. This model estimates the cost and availability of biomass energy resources from U.S. agricultural lands from the perspective of an individual power plant.
REPORT
If the U.S. military increases its use of alternative fuels, there will be no direct benefit to the nation's armed forces. It makes more sense for the military to direct its efforts toward using energy more efficiently.
NEWS RELEASE
If the U.S. military increases its use of alternative fuels, there will be no direct benefit to the nation's armed forces.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
The authors perform a technical and economic assessment and estimate the economic costs and net GHG reductions from U.S renewable electricity mandates. GHG emissions reductions from such policies could be as much as 670 million metric tons per year. Depending on technological development, economic costs are $13-$45 billion per year. Lower costs depend on favorable technological progress.
REPORT
The U.S. Congress and federal agencies are considering legislative proposals to promote the development of unconventional fuels in the United States. RAND assessed the effectiveness of various federal financial incentive packages that could successfully promote early commercial experience with coal-to-liquids production.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
This report accompanies the Calculating Uncertainty in Biomass Emissions model, version 1.0 (CUBE 1.0), and provides explanation of model content and use. It is intended to complement extensive documentation contained in the model itself. CUBE 1.0, available for download on the NETL website, determines the life cycle GHG emissions of biomass feedstocks from planting the biomass to delivery to the bioenergy plant gate…
JOURNAL ARTICLE
The authors explore the limits of current knowledge about grid electricity in LCA and carbon footprinting for the U.S. electrical grid, and show that differences in standards, protocols, and reporting organizations can lead to important differences in estimates of CO2, SO2, and NOx emissions factors.
RAND® is a registered trademark. Copyright © 1994-2012 RAND Corporation.