Energy Consumption

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Getting (Solar) Electricity Pricing Right

Demand for rooftop solar panels is soaring among U.S. homeowners. Meanwhile, states are struggling to adapt a 20th-century electrical grid—and the corresponding cost structure for electricity rates—to this 21st-century reality. This is causing confusion and uncertainty.

Nicholas E. Burger, Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright, et al.

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Investing in Infrastructure? Don't Forget the Electric Grid

Leaving the future of America's electricity grid to chance should not be an option. To maximize the potential benefits of a multibillion-dollar smart grid investment, a closer examination of technology and policy is needed.

Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright, Kathleen Loa

essay

Power to the People: How Smart Grids Can Change the Way We Live

A modernized, 'smart' grid could change how much you pay for electricity, where it comes from, and how likely you are to lose it in a summer storm. But has the reality of the smart grid kept pace with the promise?

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Global Methane Initiative: Converting Harmful Emissions to Usable Energy

Carbon dioxide has garnered the most attention in the climate change debate because it accounts for the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions. But there is good reason to worry about methane, say Nicholas Burger and Noreen Clancy.

Nicholas E. Burger, Noreen Clancy

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Chinese-Iranian Ties in the Face of the Nuclear Crisis

The U.S. effort to isolate and pressure Iran in order to extract concessions on the nuclear program faces a significant vulnerability: the ties between Iran and the People’s Republic of China, says Alireza Nader.

Alireza Nader

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Earth Day and RAND

As people around the world prepare for the 42nd annual Earth Day this Sunday, we look back at some of the recent research from RAND's Environment, Energy, and Economic Development program.

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Energy Services Analysis Can Identify Ways to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Changing how a service is provided can create opportunities to conserve energy. A new RAND study does just that, using Energy Services Analysis to identify and evaluate new ways to reduce energy use and lower greenhouse gas emissions.