Technology, Technical Change and Issues of the Scale of the New Energy Systems

Major technical advances, opening new energy options or lowering the cost of known ones, will be required if the world economy is to respond effectively to the climate change threat. Program research is devoted to improvement in quantification of the cost, efficiency, and environmental performance of technological alternatives for fossil fuel, industrial, and agricultural activities responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. Also included is investigation of the broader role of technical change and whether or how it might respond to climate policy. One focus of the research, for which the Joint Program is uniquely capable, is the environmental and resource consequences of scaling-up non-fossil technologies to the level needed to make a substantial contribution to future energy demand.

Key accomplishments and publications in this area of inquiry

Ongoing Projects and Funding

1. An Improved Model of Endogenous Technical Change Considering Uncertain R&D Returns and Uncertain Climate Response (NSF)
2. An Integrated Framework for Climate Change Analysis (DOE)
3. Integrated Assessment of Global Warming (EPRI)
4. Developing an Improved Framework for Analysis of Global Warming (EPRI)
5. Integrated Assessment Multiple Greenhouse Gases, Climate Impacts, and Pollution (EPA)
6. Investigation of Transportation Alternatives (Anonymous Donation)
7. Dynamic Modeling of Emissions from Land-Use Activities (EPA)
8. Global Effects of Human and Terrestrial Interactions (NSF)
9. Analysis of Evolving Energy & Fuel Markets (BP)
10. Development of the MIT Integrated Global System Model (Industrial and Gift Support)
11. Application of the MIT IGSM to Policy Analysis (Industrial and Gift Support)