Puerto Rico’s 2019 and 2021 Greenhouse Gas Inventories Report

Client: Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER)

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD, Joshua R. Castigliego, Chirag T. Lala, Sachin Peddada,
Jay Bonner, Eliandro Tavares, Sumera Patel, Alicia Zhang, Myisha Majumder,
David Jiang, and Jordan Burt; Ramón Bueno and Kari Hewitt

July 2023

On behalf of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER), AEC staff and partners prepared a report that presents the results for Puerto Rico’s 2019 and 2021 greenhouse gas emission inventories together with 20-year emissions projections under several scenarios and sensitivities. AEC established a methodology for conducting greenhouse gas emission inventories in Puerto Rico, which went through a comprehensive quality assurance and quality control process by an Expert Panel (established for this project and composed of experts in greenhouse gas emissions measurement and Puerto Rico climate and energy issues). Using AEC’s Emissions Measurement Inventory Tool (AEC-EMIT), AEC calculates net greenhouse gas emissions released in Puerto Rico’s seven emitting sectors: (1) Power Supply, (2) Direct Fuel, (3) Industrial Processes and Product Use, (4) Transportation, (5) Agriculture, (6) Forestry and Other Land Use, and (7) Waste Management.

Puerto Rico’s 2019 Climate Change Mitigation, Adaption, and Resiliency Law (i.e., Puerto Rico Act No. 33-2019) measures mandated emission reductions against an estimated 2005 emissions level of 53.3 MMT CO₂e and calls for a 50 percent reduction relative to 2005 emissions by 2025 (26.7 MMT CO₂e). Emission levels achieved in 2021 (34.3 MMT CO₂e) represent a 36 percent reduction in emissions from 2005 levels. With 14 percentage points and 4 years left to go, Puerto Rico must find another 7.7 MMT CO₂e to eliminate. Based on the Business-as-Usual projection in AEC’s analysis, Puerto Rico’s greenhouse gas emission levels will reach their mandated levels (50 percent of 2005 levels, or 26.7 MMT CO₂e) in 2035, 10 years later than the required 2025 target.

Based on the analysis presented in this report, AEC has identified several key recommendations to further facilitate Puerto Rico’s work towards achieving its ambitious and necessary decarbonization goals set out in Puerto Rico’s 2019 Climate Change Mitigation, Adaption, and Resiliency Law, including: (1) better data collection, (2) increased climate progress reporting (3) reprioritization in rebuilding its electric sector, and (4) a new focus in transportation planning.

Link to Report (English)

Link to Report (Español)

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The Interconnection Bottleneck: Why Most Energy Storage Projects Never Get Built

Image Credit: Sara Levine | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Client: Prepared on behalf of Clean Energy Group

Authors: Chirag Lala, Jordan Burt, Sachin Peddada

May 2023

On behalf of the Clean Energy Group, Researcher Chirag Lala and Assistant Researchers, Sachin Pedadda and Jordan Burt prepared a report that assesses the obstacles preventing efficient interconnection of distributed energy storage resources. This Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) white paper identifies and explains these interconnection barriers in Massachusetts and makes recommendations to state agencies and working groups overseeing interconnection, distribution utilities, independent system operators, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  

AEC staff make these five key recommendations to stakeholders: (1) Develop proactive, integrated, and system-wide interconnection planning that takes a systemic view of applications and separates hosting capacity upgrades from particular project or cluster applications and makes hosting capacity upgrades in anticipation of grid-needs and future interconnection volume. (2) Continuously iterate interconnection processes to build in regular improvements, examine effectiveness, and coordinate public and private stakeholders to tackle ad hoc coordination problems. (3) Tackle barriers and solutions comprehensively by integrating multiple solutions. (4) End cost causation by spreading distribution system upgrade costs over a broader set of stakeholders (including ratepayers) than just allocating those costs to the projects or clusters applying for interconnection. (5) Incorporate storage operational parameters into interconnection processes so that storage resources are assessed in a manner reflecting how they would reasonably be expected to operate once interconnected alone or in conjunction with technologies regulating bidirectional power flows and facilitating predictable charging and discharging.

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Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage and Louisiana’s Power Sector

Image Credit: Chad Davis, CC by 2.0

Client: Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Louisiana Against False Solutions Coalition

Authors: Chirag T. Lala, Joshua R. Castigliego, Sachin Peddada, Liz Stanton, PhD

April 2023

On behalf of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and the Louisiana Against False Solutions Coalition, Researchers Chirag Lala and Joshua Castigliego, Assistant Researcher Sachin Peddada, and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD prepared a report that assesses the viability of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) as a decarbonization strategy in Louisiana’s power sector. AEC staff finds that CCUS is vulnerable to damage, poses risks to human health, safety, and the environment, and has a limited emissions reduction potential.

To fully understand and mitigate the risks associated with CCUS, decision-makers must assess (1) how and to what extent CCUS could negatively impact surrounding communities, (2) what policies, rules and regulations are required to ensure that CCUS deployment is conducted in a safe and responsible manner, and (3) which applications are most appropriate for CCUS versus other decarbonization alternatives. To identify the most appropriate role that CCUS could play in Louisiana’s decarbonization efforts, decision-makers must take into consideration the technical and economic feasibility, emissions reduction potential, and safety of CCUS infrastructure compared to that of alternative decarbonization strategies.

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Impact of Refinery Row on the City of Corpus Christi

Client: Indigenous Peoples of the Coastal Bend

Authors: Tanya Stasio, PhD, Sachin Peddada, Elisabeth Seliga, Jordan Burt, Liz Stanton, PhD

March 2023

On behalf of the Indigenous Peoples of the Coastal Bend (IPCB), this Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) report summarizes the economic impact of the petroleum industry in Nueces County, Texas and the negative impacts of the polluting facilities located in the City of Corpus Christi and its “Refinery Row” district. While major petroleum companies have promised economic benefits, Corpus Christi's petroleum refineries employ less than 2 percent of the City's workforce. In the absence of more stringent reporting requirements and enforcement actions, Refinery Row releases high levels of harmful pollutants with minor consequences while nearby neighborhoods suffer higher rates of asthma and cancer prevalence rates than other areas in Corpus Christi. 

This report was funded through AEC's Pro Bono Fund, which provides pro bono analysis, research, testimony, policy briefs, or detailed reports to Environmental Justice groups on topics including energy economics, climate and other environmental impacts, and diversity, equity, and inclusion analysis.

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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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Electric Justice: A Toolkit for the Mid-Atlantic Region

Prepared on behalf of PJM Cities and Communities Coalition

Authors: Tanya Stasio, PhD, Elisabeth Seliga, Sachin Peddada, Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

Energy decisions affect everyone, but local communities and businesses often lack the time and resources needed to engage in grid operator decision-making. On behalf of the PJM Cities and Communities Coalition, AEC Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, Assistant Researchers Elisabeth Seliga and Sachin Peddada, and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD developed a report to assist coalition members and other consumer groups in advocating for greater equity in PJM Interconnection decision-making. This resource was developed with the invaluable input of representatives of organizations that sponsored the Fix the Grid campaign in New England, which is focused on rejecting fossil fuels and calling for a just and democratic energy grid.

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Cumulative Impact Assessment of the North Brooklyn Pipeline Project

Prepared on behalf of Sane Energy and Alliance for a Green Economy

Author: Tanya Stasio, PhD, Jordan Burt, Elisabeth Seliga, Sachin Peddada, Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

The National Grid Phase 5 expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure and the Vaporizer 13/14 project at the Greenpoint Energy Center create a multi-pronged set of threats to the North Brooklyn communities.

AEC Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, Research Assistant Jordan Burt, Assistant Researchers Elisabeth Seliga and Sachin Peddada, and Senior Economist, Liz Stanton, PhD  have prepared a cumulative impact assessment on behalf of Sane Energy and Alliance for a Green Economy to highlight the existing and overlapping socioeconomic, environmental, and health-related burdens facing the communities living near the pending Phase 5 pipeline construction and vaporizer additions at the Greenpoint Energy Center. AEC finds that the Bushwick, Bedford, and Williamsburg neighborhoods would be impacted the most from these fossil fuel expansion projects and include densely populated communities with majority BIPOC and low-income residents.

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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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Expert Memo: Review of Memphis Light, Gas, and Water RFP Update and Staff Power Supply Recommendation

Client: Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC)

Authors: Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, Joshua R. Castigliego, Myisha Majumder, Eliandro Tavares, Sachin Peddada

AEC staff conducted an assessment of Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW)’s 2020 Integrated Resource Plan on behalf of the Southern Environmental Law Center, finding multiple instances of biases in favor of gas resources and against renewables and batteries. In light of these discoveries, AEC staff recommend that the biases be addressed prior to the MLGW Board making a decision on power supply alternatives.

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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.

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Overburdened Communities and Power Plants in New Jersey

Authors: Sagal Alisalad, Tanya Stasio, PhD, Elisabeth Seliga, and Sachin Peddada, and Jordan Burt

Assistant Researcher Sagal Alisalad, Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, Assistant Researchers Elisabeth Seliga, and Sachin Peddada, and Research Assistant Jordan Burt prepared a policy brief on how New Jersey power plants disproportionately affect overburdened communities.

New Jersey environmental justice law defines overburdened communities as census blocks where at least a third of the household is low income, 40 percent of residents identify as racial-ethnic minorities, or 40 percent have low English proficiency. These communities are disproportionately affected by the pollutants emitted by power plants. AEC researchers explain that environmental justice initiatives will require full understanding of the impacts on vulnerable communities.

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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. 

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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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Economic Impacts of a Clean Energy Transition in New Jersey

Authors: Joshua R. Castigliego, Sagal Alisalad, Sachin Peddada, Liz Stanton, PhD

June 2022

Researcher Joshua Castigliego, Assistant Researchers Sagal Alisalad and Sachin Peddada, and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD prepared a report on the economic impacts associated with a clean energy transition in New Jersey that aims to achieve the State’s climate and energy goals in the coming decades. AEC staff find that adding in-state renewables and storage, and electrifying transportation and buildings creates additional job opportunities, while also bolstering the state’s economy. From 2025 to 2050, AEC estimates that New Jersey’s clean energy transition will result in almost 300,000 more “job-years” (an average of about 11,000 jobs per year) than would be created without it. AEC also identifies a variety of additional benefits of a clean energy transition, including several benefits that are conditional on the design and implementation of the transition.

In a companion publication to this report—Barriers and Opportunities for Green Jobs in New Jersey—AEC discusses equity, diversity and inclusion in New Jersey’s clean energy sector along with barriers that impede equitable representation in New Jersey’s green jobs.

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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.

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