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Energy

Energy plays a vital role in the global economy: fossil fuel dependency, the stability of the supply chain, and the prospects for harnessing previously untapped resources affect a range of policy concerns, from national security and international affairs to economic development and climate change. RAND's energy research covers the spectrum from energy conservation and security to emerging technologies and energy use by the U.S. armed forces.

Report

U.S. Air Force Engagement with Turkey on Energy Security Looks Promising

Turkey aspires to become a key transit state for moving both natural gas and oil from the Caspian region and from the broader Middle East via pipelines crossing its territory. U.S.-Turkish cooperation on energy security issues offers a promising yet modest opportunity to strengthen the bilateral relationship.

Jun 19, 2012
Report

What Can Be Done to Increase Asia's Sea-Lane Security?

The sea lanes that supply Asia's energy needs are already vulnerable to geopolitical concerns and the threat of piracy. One approach to protecting them would be employ multiple U.S. military and government elements; a second would be to promote the capabilities of and cooperation among nations in the region.

Jun 19, 2012
News Release

U.S. Military's Role with Petroleum Is to Assure Security

Energy purchases made by the U.S. Department of Defense do not influence world oil prices, making cutting fuel use the only effective choice to reduce what the Pentagon spends on petroleum fuels.

Jun 18, 2012
Commentary

DoD Renewable Fuels Investment Premature

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.

May 24, 2012
Blog

Examining the Relationship Between China and Iran

The partnership between China and Iran presents challenges to U.S. interests, including dissuading Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.

May 3, 2012
Report

The Nature of the Chinese-Iranian Partnership and the Challenges It Poses for the U.S.

The partnership between China and Iran presents challenges to U.S. interests, including dissuading Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability. An analysis of the factors driving Chinese-Iranian cooperation offers policy options for influencing this partnership to meet U.S. objectives.

May 2, 2012
Blog

Could Coal Mine Drainage Be Used for Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Extraction?

A recent RAND report examines the feasibility and challenges of using coal mine drainage for hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale.

Apr 27, 2012
Dissertation

Mileage-Based User Fee Winners and Losers: An Analysis of the Distributional Implications of Taxing Vehicle Miles Traveled, with Projections, 2010-2030

Estimates changes in annual vehicle miles traveled in response to changes in the cost of driving that would result from adopting a mileage-based user fee.

Apr 26, 2012
Blog

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.

Apr 20, 2012
Blog

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.

Apr 18, 2012
Report

Could Coal Mine Drainage Be Used for Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Extraction?

There are large quantities of coal mine water in Pennsylvania—much more than could be used in the coming decade for hydraulic fracturing. Researchers and operators will need to further explore quantity and quality needs to confirm whether coal mine drainage sources represent a viable, large-scale alternative to fresh water.

Apr 16, 2012
Report

Energy Services Analysis Can Identify Ways to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

By examining not only how a service is produced but how it is provided, energy services analysis can lead to greater reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions than conventional approaches.

Apr 10, 2012
Multimedia

Nuclear Energy after Fukushima

At this March 2012 program, physical scientist Tom LaTourrette discusses the pros and cons of nuclear energy, and sheds some light on lessons learned in the year since Japan's nuclear disaster in Fukushima.

Mar 8, 2012
Journal Article

The Value of CCS Public Opinion Research: A Letter in Response to Malone Dooley and Bradbury (2010) "Moving from Misinformation Derived from Public Attitude Surveys on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Towards Realistic Stakeholder Involvement"

The authors discuss the merit of conducting research with both members of the general public and with populations living near proposed carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) sites.

Mar 1, 2012
Journal Article

Getting the Most Out of Electric Vehicle Subsidies

Federal subsidies and policies to encourage plug-in vehicle adoption would produce more benefits at lower cost by targeting the purchase of vehicles with small battery packs.

Jan 1, 2012
Journal Article

Potentials for Sustainable Transportation in Cities to Alleviate Climate Change Impacts

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.

Jan 1, 2012
Journal Article

Scenario Uncertainties in Estimating Direct Land-Use Change Emissions in Biomass-To-Energy Life Cycle Assessment

The use of biomass for energy production has increasingly been encouraged in the United States, in part motivated by the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to fossil fuels.

Jan 1, 2012
Project

Calculating Uncertainty in Biomass Emissions (CUBE) Model

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.

Dec 16, 2011
Report

Characterizing the U.S. Industrial Base for Coal-Powered Electricity

Coal-fired electricity generating units (EGUs) provide about 46 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S., yet most of the existing coal-fired electricity fleet is 25–45 years old. Can the industry maintain the capability to design, construct, and operate coal-fired EGUs within reasonable cost, schedule, performance, environmental, and quality expectations?

Oct 27, 2011
Research Brief

Collaboration Between Army Installations and Energy Utility Companies

Explores how the Army can improve collaboration with utility companies to reduce energy consumption on its installations and help meet other Army energy goals.

Oct 26, 2011

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