Michigan City Generating Station Closure: Environmental Implications and Community Benefits

Client: Just Transition Northwest Indiana (JTNWI)

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Deja Garraway, Lila McNamee, Sumera Patel, Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

December 2024

On behalf of Just Transition Northwest Indiana (JTNWI), AEC assessed the retirement of Michigan City Generating Station (MCGS)—a 93-year-old coal-fired power plant located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan in Michigan City, Indiana. AEC's report presents the environmental and community impacts of MCGS' retirement, outlines opportunities for just and equitable redevelopment of the MCGS site, presents eight related case studies of coal plant redevelopment efforts, and makes five recommendations for a just transition for Michigan City to ensure that the communities most impacted by MCGS’ operations benefit from redevelopment. 

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Best Practices in Electric Sector Load Forecasting

Authors: Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, Alicia Zhang, Sagal Alisalad, Bryndis Woods, PhD

November 2024

This Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) white paper examines best practices of annual and peak electric demand forecasting and provides additional examples for South Carolina. AEC asserts that conventional load forecasting methods must be updated to reflect the rapid transformation of demand trends and real-word conditions. To address these concerns, AEC recommends eight best practices to ensure thorough, transparent, and accurate load forecasts: model and data transparency; emerging policies and technologies; large industrial loads; non-energy constraints; forecasting innovation; uncertainty analysis and multiple future scenarios; post-modeling adjustments; and stakeholder review. Adopting contemporary best practices in load forecasting benefits consumers, utilities and regulators with lower costs, increased reliability, and improved facilitation of state-mandated decarbonization plans.

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Energy Storage Equity: An Assessment of Three Massachusetts Programs

Client: Clean Energy Group

Authors: Tanya Stasio, PhD, Elisabeth Seliga, Bryndis Woods, PhD, and Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

September 2024

On behalf of the Clean Energy Group (CEG), Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, Assistant Researcher Elisabeth Seliga, Principal Analyst Bryndis Woods, PhD and Principal Economist Liz Stanton, PhD assessed equity provisions in three Massachusetts energy storage-incentivizing programs: the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program, the Clean Peak Standard, and ConnectedSolutions. AEC finds that three energy programs assessed lack mandates, targets and reporting requirements to support the Commonwealth’s commitment to equitable access to clean and efficient energy. AEC makes eight recommendations to better align Massachusetts’ energy storage programs with its equity commitments, as well as to draw on lessons learned and best practices from similar programs in other states.

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Illinois Adult Use Cannabis Industry Disparity Study

Client: Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office

Authors: Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, Bryndis Woods, PhD, Tanya Stasio, PhD, Jordan Burt, Deja Garraway, Nayantara Biswas, and Alannah Shute

July 2024

On behalf of the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office, AEC assisted the Nerevu Group, LLC in preparing a disparity study to evaluate and assess existing discrimination within the State of Illinois cannabis industry. In particular, AEC staff reviewed public and private data sources to provide utilization, availability, and disparity analyses for the Illinois economy and the Illinois cannabis industry. AEC finds evidence of significant disparities in Illinois business ownership and wages across race/ethnicity and gender. Specifically, AEC finds that, compared to White men, racial and/or ethnic minorities and women are less likely to be business owners and have less access to capital through either hourly wages or bank loans.

To cultivate a more inclusive and equitable industry, Nerevu Group, LLC recommends broadening availability of financing for cannabis businesses, improved data management, consolidating of the Illinois regulatory structure, additional disparity studies, and more industry-state collaboration along with a set of administrative recommendations.

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Equity and Environmental Justice Guidance and Recommendations

Client: the Nature Conservancy

Author: Bryndis Woods, PhD

March 2024

On behalf of the Nature Conservancy (TNC), AEC Principal Analyst Bryndis Woods, PhD provided equity and environmental justice guidance and support to TNC Northeast (and New York) Division’s government relations staff. As part of this work, AEC provided an equity and environmental justice organization library and a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) library that includes DEIJ Action Plans, Implementation Guides, Strategy Frameworks, and other related equity, environmental and social justice materials. Informed by the results of AEC’s engagement with TNC staff, Dr. Woods made nine recommendations to guide TNC staff to center and prioritize equity and justice in their work.

Link to Presentation

Link to Guidance

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Distributed Energy Storage: The Missing Piece in North Carolina's Decarbonization Efforts

Client: Clean Energy Group (CEG)

Author: Tanya Stasio, PhD, Elisabeth Seliga, Deja Garraway, Bryndis Woods, PhD, Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

December 2023

On behalf of the Clean Energy Group (CEG), Researcher Tanya Stasio, Assistant Researcher Elisabeth Seliga, Researcher Deja Torrence, Senior Researcher Bryndis Woods, and Senior Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton prepared a report that identifies distributed energy storage as the missing piece in North Carolina's decarbonization efforts. Distributed energy storage can provide load management to help meet peak electric demand and reduce the need for costly and polluting fossil fuel peaker plants. When paired with solar PV, distributed energy storage batteries can provide clean backup power to improve energy resilience while reducing home energy bills.

To support North Carolina’s decarbonization efforts and equity goals, this report makes three key policy recommendations for increasing incentives and lowering barriers to distributed energy storage deployment:

1. Approve and expand utility deployment of equitable distributed solar and distributed energy storage pilot programs.

2. Create statewide financial incentives for residential and community-based distributed solar and behind-the-meter battery installations.

3. Establish equity, climate, and energy performance-based metrics and targets for electric utilities.

Link to the Report

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Equity and Justice in Rhode Island’s Climate Policy

Client: The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the State of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM)

Author: Bryndis Woods, PhD

September 2023

On behalf of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the State of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), Senior Researcher Bryndis Woods, PhD and other AEC staff provided two environmental justice (EJ) and equity-focused training sessions for Rhode Island’s Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4), the EC4 Advisory Board (AB), and the EC4 Science and Technical Advisory Board (STAB).

The presentations included: an equity baseline for Rhode Island, including maps of Rhode Island EJ communities; foundational training on EJ and equity concepts to develop a shared understanding and vocabulary; an EJ and equity framework that provides guidance for EC4, AB and STAB to meaningfully incorporate EJ and equity in their planning and decision-making; Rhode Island-specific equity examples, including equity opportunities and common pitfalls as they relate to economy-wide decarbonization efforts; EJ scenarios for participants to consider and discuss; and recommendations for participants that will help them proactively prioritize equitable outcomes.

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Testimony on Dominion's 2023 Integrated Resource Plan

Client: Clean Virginia

Author: Bryndis Woods, PhD

August 2023

Senior Researcher Bryndis Woods, PhD filed testimony before the Virginia State Corporation Commission on Virginia Electric and Power Company’s (“Dominion”) 2023 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Dr. Woods' testimony addresses failures by Dominion in its 2023 IRP to:

• Meet the basic obligations of the Virginia Clean Economy Act including energy efficiency requirements, renewable energy requirements and fossil fuel retirement requirements;

• Present useful modeling results: the Company fails to identify a preferred plan, a feasible least-cost plan, or present meaningfully distinct modeling results over the planning period;

• Conduct a peak load sensitivity analysis that adequately accounts for uncertainties related to Dominion's load forecast, particularly anticipated load from data centers;

• Account for federal regulations that impact its coal fleet or consider a reasonable social cost of carbon; or

• Address environmental justice impacts of its resource planning decisions or conduct any stakeholder engagement as part of the 2023 IRP development.

As a result of these failures, Dr. Woods concludes that the Commission cannot find Dominion’s 2023 IRP to be reasonable and in the public interest, and provides specific recommendations for the Company’s IRPs moving forward.

Link to Direct Testimony

Link to Testimony Corrections

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Comparing Connecticut's Electric Vehicle Charging Program with Others from around the United States

Prepared on behalf of Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Sachin Peddada, Jay Bonner, Liz Stanton, PhD

March 2023

On behalf of the Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel, this Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) white paper reviews the potential for electric vehicle (EV) charging programs to provide net benefits to consumers in Connecticut and fourteen other states. AEC finds that Connecticut’s EV charging programs are well-positioned to provide net benefits to consumers and meet the state’s EV and electric vehicle supply equipment deployment goals. Connecticut stands out as a leader due to the detailed nature of its EV and EV charging deployment goals, the inclusion of alternative rate structures to incentivize public EV charging stations, the availability of incentives to cover up to 100 percent of EV charging “make-ready” costs, and enhanced incentives for underserved communities (inclusive of low-income populations). AEC also finds, however, that Connecticut’s EV charging program could be strengthened by adopting best practices from other states’ programs, such as by setting more ambitious EV and EV charging deployment goals, working to target EV charging in as equitable a fashion as possible, and by offering ongoing incentives for EV charging.

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Energy Storage Benefit-Cost Analysis

Prepared on behalf of the Clean Energy States Alliance

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Sachin Peddada, Elisabeth Seliga, Chirag Lala, Eliandro Tavares, Gabriel Lewis, Tsanta Rakotoarisoa, Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

Contributing Editor: Todd Olinsky-Paul, Clean Energy States Alliance

AEC staff prepared a report that provides a framework for state energy agencies contemplating a benefit-cost analysis (BCA) for battery storage on behalf of the Clean Energy States Alliance. AEC’s battery storage BCA framework provides guidance for state energy agencies preparing to conduct cost-effectiveness evaluation for battery storage, including information regarding: cost-effectiveness tests, discount rates, benefits, costs, sensitivity analyses, and stakeholder engagement.

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Bringing Equity into Energy Reliability Decisions

Client: Environmental Defense Fund

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Sachin Peddada, Sagal Alisalad, Jordan Burt, Elisabeth Seliga, Tanya Stasio, PhD, Eliandro Tavares, Grace Wu, Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

AEC staff prepared a report on behalf of the Environmental Defense Fund that analyzes the connection between issues of energy system reliability and equity. This data-driven report utilizes case studies of advocates’ for more equitable energy systems real-world experiences to assess how decision-makers should account for equity when making decisions regarding system reliability. The report concludes with recommendations for future decision-making in energy system reliability, including strengthening consumer and community representation. A common theme across the real-world experiences of the advocates discussed in this report is the ways in which community engagement efforts in energy system decision-making often fall short of creating real change in energy sector decisions, and environmental justice and other under-resourced and underserved communities are often left out and left behind in decisions that directly disproportionately harm the health and wealth of their communities.

Link to Full Report

Link to Press Release

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Barriers and Opportunities for Green Jobs in New Jersey

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Joshua R. Castigliego, Elisabeth Seliga, Sachin Peddada, Tanya Stasio, PhD, Liz Stanton, PhD

June 2022

Senior Researcher Bryndis Woods, PhD, Researcher Joshua Castigliego, Assistant Researchers Elisabeth Seliga and Sachin Peddada, Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD prepared a report that assesses New Jersey’s current clean energy workforce, identifies barriers to green jobs that impede access to—and equitable representation within—the clean energy sector, and provides recommendations regarding how the State of New Jersey can shape policy and regulations to enhance the equity, diversity and inclusion of its clean energy jobs. AEC staff find that there are important barriers to green jobs that reinforce existing inequities in New Jersey’s clean energy workforce, including: educational/experience barriers, logistical barriers, equitable access barriers, and institutional barriers. Achieving a future of clean energy jobs in New Jersey that is diverse, equitable and inclusive will require overcoming barriers to green jobs with intentional efforts targeted at marginalized and underrepresented groups, such as racial/ethnic minorities, women, low-income households, and people with limited English proficiency.

In a companion publication to this report—Economic Impacts of a Clean Energy Transition in New Jersey—AEC assesses the job and other economic impacts associated with achieving a clean energy transition in New Jersey over the next few decades. 

Link to Report

Link to Presentation

Link to Press Release

Media Coverage - NJBiz - June 9, 2022

Media Coverage - NJ Spotlight News - June 8, 2022

Media Coverage - Asbury Park Press - June 8, 2022

Media Coverage - NJ101.5 - June 7, 2022

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Making Clean Energy Decisions in New England

Client: Community Action Works

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Sachin Peddada, Eliandro Tavares, Elisabeth Seliga, and Myisha Majumder

April 2022

On behalf of Community Action Works, AEC staff developed a report that identifies and examines six on-going clean energy and energy justice advocacy campaigns in New England. AEC profiles and assesses each campaign to determine which decision makers possess the authority to act on the advocates’ goals. These six campaigns include opposition to the proposed peaker plant in Peabody, MA; continued operation of New England’s last coal-fired power plant in Bow, New Hampshire; three existing peaker plants in Berkshire County, MA; a proposed gas-fired power plant in Killingly, CT; a proposed gas pipeline between Longmeadow and Springfield, MA; and an approved electric substation in East Boston awaiting construction. In addition to profiling each project, the report clarifies the key role the Independent System Operator of New England (ISO-NE), governors, and state legislatures play in developing New England’s energy mix.

Across all six campaigns, we find that advocates have more opportunities to pursue their goals while a project is still in its proposal phase; it becomes more challenging to shut down an energy project once it is operational. In addition, we recommend changes at ISO-NE that have the potential to render many polluting New England energy projects less competitive.

Link to Our Report

Press Release

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Peabody Peaker Plant Risk Assessment

Client: Massachusetts Climate Action Network

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Chirag Lala, and Joshua Castigliego

March 2022

On behalf of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN), AEC staff developed a policy brief that presents risks that Municipal Light Plants (MLPs) should consider as they decide whether to retain their ownership shares in the Peabody peaking power plant or withdraw from the contract: 1) market risks, like capacity and fuel prices, and 2) climate/environmental risks. We find that while ownership in the Peabody peaker protects against some capacity market risks, it leaves MLPs open to a variety of other important risks, including uncertainty in future gas fuel prices. existing Massachusetts emissions regulations and Environmental Justice (EJ) community protection laws, and the potential for stronger EJ laws, new federal legislation, and/or regulatory changes that put fossil fuel-fired assets at a disadvantage.

Link to Policy Brief

Link to MCAN Press Release

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Cambridge Net Zero Action Plan

Client: City of Cambridge

Authors: Bryndis Woods and Liz Stanton, PhD

December 2021

Together with DNV GL and Sorensen Partners, AEC led the City of Cambridge's stakeholder engagement process to provide equity input on the City's 2021 update to its 2015 Net Zero Action Plan.

The Net Zero Task Force held five public, remote meetings between November 2020 and June 2021.
AEC provided equity guidance and input throughout the process as the Task Force worked to propose and evaluate adjustments to the Net Zero Action Plan.

• Meeting 1, November 2020: 
  AEC presented on its Climate and Social Equity Framework and baseline equity considerations for the City of Cambridge.

• Meeting 2, December 2020: 
  AEC provided guidance regarding the potential co-benefits of Net Zero Actions, including equity co-benefits.

• Meeting 3, January 2021: 
  AEC answered stakeholders’ questions regarding equity.

• Meeting 4, April 2021: 
  AEC presented on the equity implications of the proposed Net Zero Action Plan adjustments, including equitable action design and implementation.

• Meeting 5, May 2021: 
  AEC presented on the “equity rating” assigned to each proposed Net Zero Action—equity ratings indicate whether each Action, as it currently stands, is likely to have equity impacts that are positive, neutral, or need to be addressed with additional action (“flagged”).

In January 2022, the City of Cambridge received City Council approval on its final Net Zero Action Plan.

Link to Final Cambridge Net Zero Action Plan

Equity Measurement and Targeting Underserved Communities in Massachusetts’ 2022-2024 Energy Efficiency Plan

Client: Green Justice Coalition

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Sagal Alisalad, Eliandro Tavares, Myisha Majumder, and Liz Stanton, PhD

December 2021

On behalf of the Green Justice Coalition, AEC staff developed three white papers on equity measurement and how underserved communities will be served in the implementation of Massachusetts’ 2022-2024 Energy Efficiency Plan. The first paper, Equity Measurement for Massachusetts’ 2022-2024 Energy Efficiency Plan, builds on the equity recommendations of the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council’s (EEAC) Equity Working Group (EWG) and the Green Justice Coalition by describing metrics needed to evaluate progress towards equity goals. The second paper, Energy Efficiency and Equity Efforts Nationwide, provides examples from other jurisdictions around the nation on the state of equity programming in energy efficiency policies. The third AEC white paper, Targeting Underserved Communities in Massachusetts’ 2022-2024 Energy Efficiency Plan, is a detailed review of Massachusetts towns identified as underserved by the energy efficiency program administrators and their partners.

Link to White Paper 1: Equity Measurement for Massachusetts’ 2022-2024 Energy Efficiency Plan

Link to White Paper 2: Energy Efficiency and Equity Efforts Nationwide

Link to White Paper 3: Targeting Underserved Communities in Massachusetts’ 2022-2024 Energy Efficiency Plan

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Equity Assessment of Electrification Incentives in the District of Columbia

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

Authors: Tanya Stasio, Bryndis Woods, PhD. Joshua R. Castigliego, Liz Stanton, PhD

December 2021

On behalf of the Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia, Researcher Tanya Stasio, Senior Researcher Bryndis Woods, PhD, Researcher Joshua Castigliego, and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD examine a potential pathway for reducing emissions in the District of Columbia: equitable electrification–a transition away from fossil fuels while taking into consideration equity implications, in both existing and future decarbonization efforts.

A baseline equity analysis of the distribution of energy expenditures, median income and other vulnerability indicators reveals significant disparities across the District. To account for the existing disparities of income and access within the District and ensure beneficial electrification efforts are equitable, AEC identified the following priorities: (1)  Ensuring that community engagement influences DC Public Service Commission and District Government decision-making regarding beneficial electrification programs; (2) Prioritizing beneficial electrification investments in neighborhoods impacted by environmental injustice and addressing common decarbonization barriers, and; (3) Ensuring that beneficial electrification programs do not increase the energy burden for EJ and other vulnerable communities.

Link to Report

Media Coverage

Media Coverage

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Recommendations for Cities and States to Improve Equity Evaluation and Reporting in Energy Efficiency Programming

Client: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Liz Stanton, PhD, and Sagal Alisalad

October 2021

On behalf of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), this Applied Economics Clinic white paper recommends measures that cities and states can undertake to facilitate equitable energy efficiency evaluation and reporting of energy efficiency efforts, based on the results of our review of low-income energy efficiency efforts in ACEEE’s top-scoring cities and states in their 2020 City and State energy efficiency scorecards.

We find that the cities and states most highly-rated for energy efficiency offer programs for low-income community members, but fail to take critical actions necessary for equitable evaluation and reporting to facilitate equitable outcomes. Based on our review of these programs, we find that—while these programs have made important progress on addressing equity concerns by offering efficiency programming specifically to low-income households—more robust energy efficiency evaluation and reporting are needed to shine a light on city and state equity-focused energy efficiency programming and ensure that efficiency benefits are equitably distributed. We recommend three main improvements that would drastically enhance the ability to evaluate these programs for their equity-related impacts:

• Mandate disaggregated efficiency program performance reporting;
• Identify, track, and target vulnerable populations; and
• Integrate energy efficiency, climate, and equity planning and reporting.

Link to Report

Link to ACEEE's Leading with Equity Initiative White Paper

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ConnectedSolutions: A Program Assessment for Massachusetts

Client: Clean Energy Group

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

September 2021

On behalf of the Clean Energy Group, this Applied Economics Clinic report assesses the design and performance of the Massachusetts ConnectedSolutions program. Massachusetts’ ConnectedSolutions program offers incentives to customers in exchange for allowing their electric supplier to draw on the energy stored in their grid-connected batteries and/or to curtail energy use via smart thermostats or electric vehicle charging at times of peak electric demand. Launched as a full program offering in 2019, ConnectedSolutions had about 34,000 customer participants with 310 megawatts (MW) of capacity enrolled by the end of 2020.

This report compares the Massachusetts ConnectedSolutions program, as it has been administered in the first three-year program cycle, with related programs in other states across the country. In several important areas, the Massachusetts program administrators could benefit from best practices implemented elsewhere; chief among these is the treatment of income-eligible customers and those in historically underserved communities.

Link to Report

Link to Webinar

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Comments on Astoria Gas Turbine Power LLC's Proposed Gas-Fired Combustion Turbines

Client: New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and Earthjustice

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD and Liz Stanton, PhD

September 2021

On September 13, 2021, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and Earthjustice—on behalf of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, THE POINT CDC, UPROSE, Chhaya CDC, and Clean Energy Group, together with Sierra Club—submitted comments to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regarding the Draft Title V Air Permit and the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Astoria Gas Turbine Power LLC's proposed Astoria Replacement Project. The comments urged the DEC to deny the permit for the proposed Project because of its inconsistency with New York State climate and emission reduction goals set forth in the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

AEC's comments address Astoria Gas Turbine Power LLC's incorrect claims that the proposed Project is CLCPA-consistent and that a hypothetical future conversion to hydrogen fuel is zero emissions or CLCPA-consistent. AEC's comments also outline the negative environmental justice and public health implications of hydrogen fuel use. We conclude that—with or without switching from gas fuel to hydrogen—the proposed Project is not consistent with the CLCPA.

Link to AEC Comments

Link to Joint Comments

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