October 16, 2014

International energy experts tackle policy-making process at Duke workshop

Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions

How are energy policy decisions hammered out during negotiations between people, governments and organizations that have a stake in those decisions? Experts on political science, computational science and economics came to Duke from around the world to examine the complex bargaining processes that influence energy policy-making.

A daylong workshop in late September, hosted by the Duke University Energy Initiative with the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), included nearly 30 participants who discussed how to create models that can accurately outline the policy negotiation process.

These models, often described as "agent-based models," seek to quantitatively capture the preferences of and interactions between multiple decision-makers.

KAPSARC partnered with Duke because of the university's broad range of expertise in energy economics, political science and modeling, each of which play important roles in understanding energy policy decision-making. Duke also has a strong track record in convening experts from multiple fields, including academia, industry, government and non-governmental organizations.

KAPSARC is an independent, non-profit research institution, and is funded by an endowing gift from King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The organization, governed by an international board of trustees, has nearly finished building its headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

"Richard Newell's leadership of the Duke Energy Initiative was a key attraction in beginning this collaboration," said David Hobbs, head of research for KAPSARC. An added attraction was the workshop site, the Doris Duke Center at Sarah P. Duke Gardens, which he called "a beautiful setting and a great place to have this discussion."

Newell, director of the Energy Initiative, has contributed to other KAPSARC research workshops, including a workshop on energy productivity earlier in September.

"We were pleased to include energy experts from around the world in this multi-faceted approach, and show that Duke is a place where we bring together many different perspectives to address a wide array of energy-related challenges," Newell said.

KAPSARC is currently developing a staff of 80 resident researchers plus 40 to 50 visiting fellows who will produce original research on energy issues related to economics, policy, technology and the environment.

Workshop participants provided feedback on a KAPSARC project to model the decision-making processes of stakeholders involved in energy policy. Many of these decisions, such as how to develop natural resources in a variety of nations, have global implications for economic growth, environmental health and more. The modeling approaches being developed by KAPSARC can help inform policymakers, industry operators and other organizations that share concern over the economic and environmental consequences of energy development.

Duke faculty contributed expertise on specific areas such as modeling approaches, electricity markets, and unconventional oil and gas development.