CLOSUP publications

This report presents information from Michigan local government officials regarding local energy issues and policies. In addition, the report looks at local officials’ opinions on environmental leadership in local government. These findings are...

Since 2008, the University of Michigan and Muhlenberg College have conducted the National Surveys on Energy and Environment (NSEE), a biannual national opinion survey on energy and climate policy. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the survey,...

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...

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...

To achieve parity in the benefits of solar energy, a growing number of states have developed policies and programs to address socioeconomic disparities by designating and targeting low- to moderate-income (LMI) households, as well as racial and...

Decarbonizing the electricity sector will require a shift in the geography of where our electricity is produced. Currently, most electricity comes from large, centralized fossil fuel and nuclear power plants sited in or near urban areas where much...

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,...

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...

This report examines American attitudes on how to respond to climate change. We look at preferences for focusing on adaptation or mitigation efforts, and at Americans’ beliefs on whether efforts to prevent further climate change can actually be...

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...

This report considers how American attitudes about renewable energy policies—and solar and wind energy, more specifically—have changed over the last decade. We use time-series data to consider shifts in support for state-level renewable energy...

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...

Over the course of the last 10 years the National Surveys on Energy and the Environment (NSEE) has fielded 19 surveys in which Americans have been asked if they believe there is solid evidence of global warming. In the latest version of this ongoing...

This report examines American attitudes about policies that could reduce emissions from the transportation sector. We use time-series data to consider shifts in support for policies that require auto makers to sell more fuel-efficient vehicles, and...

Transitioning our energy supply to renewable sources has become an objective for policymakers, worldwide, and wind energy has emerged as a leading alternative energy source. In the US, much of the wind energy growth has occurred in rural communities...

Due to a lack of concerted federal action to promote renewable energy, understanding and evaluating the rigors of state-level energy policies such as renewable portfolio standards is of great importance. The literature on state renewable policies...

To evaluate current Republican views on climate, this study performs an inventory of all 51 US Republican senators’ official websites. It analyzes how each member speaks of "climate change" and "energy," which types of climate change mitigation...

In the global fight against climate change, cap-and-trade programs remain one of the most effective means of greenhouse gas mitigation at policymakers’ disposal. Within the United States, several sub-national cap-and trade programs have emerged with...

Despite lacking oil and gas resources and its accompanying wealth, Jordan and Morocco are leading renewable energy producers in the Middle East and North Africa. This research paper is a comparative case study that analyzes policy intent, policy...

Solar power has historically been a high cost form of renewable energy. Other renewables like wind have dominated the market, leading to a lack of diversity within American states’ renewable portfolio standards (RPS). To combat this lack of...

The gas tax in the United States has significant implications for the environment and for infrastructure funding. In contrast to federal inaction for over two decades, many states have recently increased their own state-level gas taxes. This study...

Local policies aimed at reducing the emissions that contribute to climate change are growing in popularity in the United States, but progress on reducing vehicle emissions remains incremental. Cities are slowly shifting away from zoning policies...

Since the 1980's international climate negotiations have occurred more frequently and with increasing importance. Research on international climate agreements has largely been limited to their effectiveness, with very few considering the formation...

A combination of rapid population growth, lack of proactive water management policy, and prolonged drought have put Cape Town, South Africa on the verge of becoming the first major, global city to effectively run out of water, a crisis projected to...

Many Michigan cities’ water infrastructure are unable to handle excessive stormwater which can result in flooding or combined sewer overflows. Green infrastructure has been used as a solution to allow water to naturally infiltrate into the ground,...