Policy Topics

Energy and Environment

Showing 211 - 240 of 653 results
Working Papers

Renewable Energy Policy in Texas

May 8, 2020
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Christopher Bowman*, Guy Packard*, Zach Pritchard*, University of Michigan
Despite voting Republican in every presidential election since Reagan, Texas was one of the first states to adopt a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) and is now ranked third nationally in production of renewable energy, beaten only by California...
Student Working Papers

State Wildlife Action Plans Adaptation to Climate Change

May 1, 2020
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Adam Carpenter
Early conservation efforts were focused on setting aside lands to remain undeveloped and for plant and animal species to have a protected zone. Shifting environmental problems such as climate change have created a need for conservation efforts to...
Student Working Papers

Understanding the Goals of Urban Agriculture Policy in State Legislation

May 1, 2020
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Meghan Monaghan
Literature suggests that incorporating urban agricultural practices into urban planning and policy making could be an effective method of improving economic and environmental sustainability, as well as increasing urban food security if adopted on a...
Student Working Papers

Zoning Codes and the Adoption of LEED in Michigan Cities

May 1, 2020
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Michael Ngan
Because of an absence of federal policies in the US mandating green building certification, this paper aims to explore if local policy efforts can, as an alternative, effectively drive sustainable design and increase the number of green buildings....
Student Working Papers

Comparing Public Opinion and Legislation on Fracking in Pennsylvania

May 1, 2020
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Anya Satyawadi
In recent years, natural gas production has increased greatly in the United States. This is, in large part, because of an attempt to decrease dependence on foreign energy sources. With increased use of natural gas comes the use of hydraulic...
Working Papers

Oregon: Landscape of Renewable Energy Policy

January 1, 2020
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Emily Blackmer*, Katherine Cunningham*, Zoe Fullem*, University of Michigan
With valuable wind and solar energy resources, a history of ranking in the top states for hydroelectric power, and a governor focused on climate change action, Oregon is poised to continue to be a leader in renewable deployment. The current state of...
Working Papers

Renewable Energy in Iowa

January 1, 2020
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Austin Glass*, Karl Hoesch*, Nocona Sanders*, University of Michigan
Iowa is located in both the geographic center of the United States and at center stage for the nation’s energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. For the last three decades, Iowa has been a national leader in wind energy despite relatively...
Working Papers

Renewable Energy Policy in Minnesota

January 1, 2020
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Sharon Hu*, Sacha-Rose Phillips*, Samantha VanDyke*, University of Michigan
Minnesota is forward-thinking when it comes to renewable energy policy. The state boasts a decently aggressive renewable portfolio standard (RPS) and has democratic leadership that is leading Minnesota to a clean energy future. Robust policies are...
Working Papers

Renewable Energy in the Cowboy State

January 1, 2020
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Kseniya Husak*, Jackie Wrage*, Malika Begum*, University of Michigan
The cowboy state of Wyoming more than lives up to its reputation as a rugged, big, beautiful place. Between Yosemite in the West and vast prairies in the East, stupendous mineral deposits and an undeniable presence of grit as well as independence,...
Working Papers

California: Landscape of Renewable Energy Policy

January 1, 2020
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Molly Blondell*, Akshat Kasliwal*, Doug Noe*, Owen Watson*, University of Michigan
Californians have a strong history of environmentalism and progressive energy policies, dating back to the days of the gold rush. Some have posited that Californians care so much about the environment because they have had so much to lose from its...

The Taxation of Wind Energy

September 1, 2019
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Stephanie Leiser
The generation of energy from wind turbines is becoming increasingly common as utilities and consumers seek to integrate alternative energy sources into power grids. However, the complex economic aspects of wind energy, such as up-front capital...

State and Local Energy Justice Programs

September 1, 2019
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Sanya Carley, Caroline Engle, David Konisky, Savannah Sullivan
This policy brief introduces an inventory of 185 energy justice programs, policies, or organizations at the national, state, and local level in the United States. We identified these programs through an extensive search of social media,...

Taxing Flaring and the Politics of State Methane Policy

September 1, 2019
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Barry Rabe, Claire Kaliban, Isabel Engelhart
This brief explores whether states with regulatory authority over oil and gas production include methane within their own established severance tax regimes. It acknowledges minimal published scholarship on this issue, aside from general discussion...
Working Papers

Dynamics of Climate Change Belief in Rural and Wind Turbine Communities

December 1, 2018
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Rio Mizuno**
As the most suitable sites for wind energy development, rural areas are integral to the growth of the renewable energy sector in the U.S. A crucial aspect of siting decisions lies in the opinions of the local community, for which environmental...
IEEP

Findings from the Fall 2018 NSEE

November 1, 2018
The National Surveys on Energy and Environment (NSEE) is an on-going biannual national opinion survey on energy and climate policy from University of Michigan and Muhlenberg...
IEEP

Federalism and California’s Role in Vehicle Emissions Standards

July 1, 2018
This paper and its analyses were commissioned in order to support a paper written by Barry G. Rabe for the Academy of Arts and Sciences Project on Durability and Adaptability in Energy Policy entitled “Leveraged Federalism and the Clean Air Act: The...