Testimony on Washington Gas Light Company’s Application to the District of Columbia

Prepared on behalf of the Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia

Author: Senior Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

Senior Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton submitted testimony before the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia on behalf of the Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia in response to the Washington Gas Light Company’s (WGL) application to the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia for authority to increase existing rates and charges for gas service. Dr. Stanton found that the WGL proposals provided limited emission reductions and that in order to achieve the goal of 60% emission reduction by 2030, the District of Columbia needs WGL climate-related proposals to provide for serious emission reductions in the near-term.

Link to Testimony

Link to Surrebuttal Testimony

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Net Emissions Savings Benefit for a Battery Storage Facility in Wendell, Massachusetts

Image source: Borrego

Client: New Leaf Energy, Inc.

Authors: Joshua R. Castigliego, Chirag Lala, and Liz Stanton, PhD

August 2022

On behalf of New Leaf Energy, Inc., Researchers Joshua Castigliego and Chirag Lala, and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD conducted analysis estimating the net change in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions resulting from New Leaf Energy’s proposed battery storage facility located in Wendell, Massachusetts. AEC estimated net emission savings of this proposed battery storage project as the sum of “positive” CO2 emissions savings (i.e., reduced emissions) from the electric grid due to charging and discharging at specific times and “negative” CO2 emissions (i.e., increased emissions) due to land-use conversion from forestland to grassland. Combined these two effects result in substantial net emissions savings (i.e., reduced emissions) resulting from the proposed New Leaf Energy facility.

The proposed battery facility at the Wendell site would draw power from the grid during periods in which clean, renewable energy sources are a high share of total New England generation, and discharge energy at times when mostly fossil-fuel-powered generators are displaced by this added energy. By charging using low-emission generation and displacing fossil fuel generation while discharging power, new battery resources result in lower electric grid emissions.

This publication is an update to a study originally released in November 2021 (AEC-2021-11-WP-01).

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Estimating the Net Change in Carbon Dioxide Emissions for Solar Projects in Massachusetts

Client: Borrego

Authors: Joshua R. Castigliego, Chirag Lala, Eliandro Tavares, and Liz Stanton, PhD

September 2021

On behalf of Borrego, Researchers Joshua Castigliego and Chirag Lala, Assistant Researcher Eliandro Tavares, and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD conducted analysis estimating the net change in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of Borrego’s proposed solar projects at three sites in Wareham, Massachusetts. AEC estimated net emission savings of the proposed projects as the sum of “positive” CO2 emissions savings from the electric grid due to renewable energy generation, and “negative” CO2 emissions due to land use conversion from forestland to grassland. AEC found that Borrego’s proposed projects offset four times more CO2 emissions than are emitted in their development.

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Assessment of Backup Diesel Generators in Massachusetts and New York City

Client: Bloom Energy

Authors: Joshua R. Castigliego, Tanya Stasio, Sagal Alisalad, Liz Stanton, PhD

August 2021

On behalf of Bloom Energy, Researchers Joshua Castigliego and Tanya Stasio, Assistant Researcher Sagal Alisalad, and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD prepared two reports assessing backup diesel generators in Massachusetts and New York City. AEC compiled inventories of backup diesel generators in each jurisdiction based on publicly available data and reviewed the quantity, combined capacity, proximity to environmental justice (EJ) communities, and emissions impact of backup diesel generators.

AEC found that there is an abundance of backup diesel generators throughout both areas that are commonly sited near EJ communities and represent a considerable—and largely avoidable—source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that threaten public health and the environment.

Link to Massachusetts Report

Link to New York City Report

Link to Download Shapefile for Massachusetts Environmental Justice Communities

Link to Download Shapefile for New York City Environmental Justice Communities

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Comments on 2021 Guidance Towards Updating the U.S. Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases

Client: Friends of the Earth

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD, Chirag Lala, and Tanya Stasio

June 2021

Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD and Research Assistants Chirag Lala and Tanya Stasio prepared comments on the 2021 guidance towards updating the U.S. social cost of greenhouse gases (SC-GHG) on behalf of Friends of the Earth.
AEC staff recommend that the current revision to the U.S. SC-GHG: (1) Estimate climate damages in a single model; (2) Include climate damages around the world; (3) Value for future climate impacts; (4) Place equal value on all people, all families, and all communities; (5) Set fair and effective emission reduction targets, and; (6) Have a clear process for updating the SC-GHGs over time.

Link to Comments

Link to News Release, Common Dreams

Link to News Release, Friends of the Earth

Link to News Release, Red, Green and Blue

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Testimony on Washington Gas Light Company's 2020 Rate Case

Source: The Connection Newspapers

Client: Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD

August 2020

On behalf of the Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD provided Applied Economics Clinic expert testimony to Formal Case No. 1162 before the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia. In her testimony, Dr. Stanton discussed Washington Gas Light Company's Application and rate proposals in the context of the CleanEnergy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 and other relevant climate and clean energy goals. Dr. Stanton's analysis found that Washington Gas failed to meaningfully address or support the District's climate-related goals, including emission reductions, in an equitable and cost-effective manner.

Link to Testimony

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Comments on Massachusetts Decarbonization Roadmap

Client: Conservation Law Foundation

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD, Bryndis Woods and Eliandro Tavares

Updated April 28, 2020

In February 2020, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs requested public feedback on setting a 2050 emissions limit that will achieve the Commonwealth’s 2050 goal of net-zero emissions. On behalf of Conservation Law Foundation, this Applied Economics Clinic white paper provides eight recommendations for the Commonwealth as it works to set its 2050 emission targets. We argue that Massachusetts should set an ambitious 2050 emissions reductions target that builds in flexibility to account for truly recalcitrant emissions via carbon sinks, distinguishes the state as a national leader on climate, clearly defines and limits the use of carbon sinks until the Commonwealth approaches full decarbonization in 2050, considers the context of global climate change and local impacts, is in line with the best available science, and uses modeling tools that are able to consider a full range of emission reduction technologies.

Link to White Paper

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Technosilvicultural Reclamation for Environmental Emission Sequestration

Clients: Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) and Speak for the Trees (SFTT)

Authors: Bryndis Woods and Liz Stanton, PhD

November 2019

Researcher Bryndis Woods and Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD prepared a policy brief that compares two cutting-edge carbon dioxide emission sequestration (or storage) technologies on the basis of cost, history of success, near-term commercial viability, co-benefits, and potential risks: 1) Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), and 2) Technosilvicultural Reclamation for Environmental Emission Sequestration (TREES). Our assessment finds TREES facilities to be competitive with, or superior to, CCS in all evaluation categories: TREES facilities are less expensive per ton of CO2 stored, have a longer history of success, stronger near-term viability, more robust co-benefits, and fewer risks than CCS.

Link to Report

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Testimony on New Hampshire's Liberty Gas Supply Planning

Client: Conservation Law Foundation

Liz Stanton, PhD

September 2019

On behalf of Conservation Law Foundation, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD provided Applied Economics Clinic expert testimony in Dockets 17-152 and 17-189 before the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission. In her testimonies, Dr. Stanton addressed the need to evaluate the environmental impacts of new gas infrastructure as it relates to climate change. Her testimonies concluded that Liberty Gas’ least cost integrated resource plan fails to adequately address the climate change impacts of the Company’s planned expansion of gas.

Link to 17-152 Testimony

Link to 17-198 Testimony

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Performance-Based Incentives for Gas Utilities

Client: Gas Leak Allies

Authors: Bryndis Woods, Liz Stanton, PhD, and Ricardo Lopez, PhD

November 2018 - April 2019

Researcher Bryndis Woods, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, and Senior Researcher Ricardo Lopez, PhD, prepared a policy brief discussing how Massachusetts' natural gas utilities currently receive compensation, the inconsistencies between utilities' incentives and the Commonwealth's legally mandated emission reductions, and the performance-based incentives that can align gas utilities' business interests with their responsibility to reduce emissions.

This policy brief is the first of two AEC publications on behalf of Gas Leak Allies. A forthcoming policy brief will analyze the return on investment for gas leak repairs in the Commonwealth.

Link to Policy Brief

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Clinic Director Liz Stanton Presents at WNE Law Symposium

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD

October 26, 2018

Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD presented at the Western New England (WNE) Law Review Symposium on October 26, 2018. The Symposium aimed to facilitate conversation about how to build and reinforce smart, self-reliant and sustainable communities in the face of anthropocenic disruption. Dr. Stanton spoke about energy decisions made at the home, corporate, and regulatory levels.

Link to Presentation

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MPCA Consumption-Based Emissions

Client: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

June 2017

On behalf of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD assisted MPCA with its adaptation of the Consumption-Based Emissions Inventory (CBEI) for Minnesota. CBEI estimates the emission impacts of a state, county or city from the point of view of what is consumed in that jurisdiction (in contract to production-based or geographic-based inventories). While at the Stockholm Environment Institute, Dr. Stanton led the team that designed CBEI and implemented it for Oregon, King County (Washington), San Francisco, and California.