AEC stands in solidarity with demands for racial justice, without which environmental and economic justice can never be achieved.
See more on the intersections of equity, race, BLM, and the environment on our resources page.
Research Highlights
A Community Assessment of Health Impacts from the Pittsfield Generating Facility on Local Communities
February 2025
On behalf of the Massachusetts Clean Peak Coalition Researcher Jordan Burt, Assistant Researcher Elisabeth Seliga, Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, Research Assistant Lila McNamee, and Principal Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, prepared a report that summarizes the negative health impacts of fossil fuel-fired emissions on communities living near the Pittsfield Generating Facility. The report identifies three key takeaways:
1. As long as the Pittsfield Generating Facility is in operation, it has the potential to produce much higher greenhouse gas emissions and co-pollutants in any given year.
2. EJ and other vulnerable communities live in close proximity to the Pittsfield Generating Facility, increasing vulnerability to adverse health outcomes.
3. Replacing the fossil fuel-fired plant with clean energy resources can reduce emissions in the area.
Duke KY IRP Comments
January 2025
Principal Economist Tyler Comings, Senior Researcher Joshua Castigliego, and Researcher Jordan Burt co-wrote comments on the Duke Energy Kentucky 2024 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The comments focused on the utility's decision to co-fire a coal unit (East Bend Unit 2) with natural gas. We found that full conversion of the unit to gas was more cost-effective and reduced regulatory risk.
Testimony on Alabama Power Company Petition for Certificate of Convenience and Necessity
January 2025
Principal Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, submitted direct testimony before the Alabama Public Service Commission (“Commission”) in response to Alabama Power Company’s proposed Lindsay Hill Generating Station (“Lindsay Hill”) purchase. In her testimony, Dr. Stanton addresses Alabama Power’s failure to satisfactorily consider alternative resources to its proposed purchase and determines that without consideration of alternative resources, it is not possible to conclude that the Lindsay Hill purchase is the lowest cost option. Dr. Stanton’s review of Alabama Power’s Lindsay Hill Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (“CCN”) Petition finds that the proposed purchase would decrease the Company’s resource diversity and increase its reliability risks.
AEC Areas of Expertise
All-sector energy planning
Benefit-cost analysis
Capacity expansion modeling
Dispatch modeling
Economic impact analysis (including REMI and IMPLAN)
Economics of energy resources
Electricity system planning (including integrated resource plans)
Emissions accounting
Energy and capacity markets
Energy efficiency planning
Energy policy analysis
Energy-water nexus
Environmental regulations
Equity and consumer impact analysis
Pipeline economic analysis
Renewable energy
Utility cost of capital
Utility finance analysis
Valuation of externalities
AEC Services
Analysis
We provide in-depth analysis of the economics, environmental, and equity impacts of all types of energy resources and policies. Read more →
Modeling
Clinic staff regularly analyze a number of third-party power sector model inputs and outputs used to conduct resource planning analyses, forecast electricity market prices, predict emissions output, and evaluate the need for future electric and natural gas capacity. . Read more →
Testimony
We provide expert testimony in state and federal regulatory proceedings on a variety of issues. Read more →
Public Reports
We provide public-facing reports for our clients, including economic assessments of existing energy resources and economic and emission impacts of environmental regulations. Read more →
Contact | Address: Applied Economics Clinic, 6 Liberty Sq., PMB 98162, Boston, MA, 02109 | Email: info@aeclinic.org