Reports
California Air Resources Board’s post-2020 cap-and-trade proposal: policy comments
Comment letter to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to address substantive policy and market design considerations in ARB’s proposal for a cap-and-trade system
California Air Resources Board’s post-2020 cap-and-trade proposal: legal comments
Comment to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to raise concerns with respect to ARB’s legal authority to extend the cap-and-trade program
Partner project: Expert elicitation survey on future wind energy costs
Using tools developed by Near Zero, a team of researchers has completed the largest expert survey yet on any energy technology.
Washington’s proposed Clean Air Rule and California’s cap-and-trade market
Comment to the State of Washington’s Department of Ecology on consequences of linking their state’s greenhouse gas emissions market with California’s oversupplied market
Structural oversupply and credibility in California’s carbon market
California’s carbon market entered a new and volatile phase in early 2016. Here, we review the recent performance of the market and its critical implications for the future of state energy and climate policy.
Global warming potentials in the draft Aliso Canyon Methane Leak Climate Impacts Mitigation Program
Danny Cullenward and Michael Mastrandrea of Near Zero, together with Stanford University PhD candidates Emily Grubert and Aaron Strong, sent a comment to the California Air Resources Board on the Draft Mitigation Program for the Southern California Gas Company methane leak in Aliso Canyon.
The effect of natural gas supply on U.S. renewable energy and CO2 emissions
The increased use of natural gas for electricity would do little to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to this study, which combines energy modeling and a Near Zero expert elicitation of U.S. natural gas supply. This is primarily because abundant gas delays deployment of renewable electricity.
Keystone XL: The Climate Impact
Our expert survey suggests that building the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline would likely increase emissions, even if the production to be transported by KXL were replaced an equivalent amount of heavy crude oils, or were transported by rail instead.
How Low Will Photovoltaic Prices Go?: An Expert Discussion
Prices for photovolatic modules—the part of solar panels that produce electricity—will continue to fall in line with the long-term trend, according to Near Zero’s expert elicitation. Continuing this trend will require on-going commitments to research.
Energy High in the Sky: Expert Perspectives on Airborne Wind Energy Systems
Government-funded R&D could help airborne wind energy—a burgeoning approach that harnesses high-altitude winds—to reach large scale quickly by overcoming some of the main technical barriers, according to an expert survey by Near Zero.