Duke researchers have informed energy policy decisions around the world by providing expertise and data from their investigations in business, law, economics, psychology, diplomacy, systems modeling and other relevant areas.
Researchers at Duke have looked at the effectiveness, feasibility, and efficiency of energy and environmental policy options, the cost-effectiveness of existing energy policies, detailed models of the domestic electricity system and broader energy system, the greenhouse gas implications of various energy policies, and how changes in the energy system may affect the economy and policy in the future.
Shale oil and gas production have increased rapidly in the United States over the past decade thanks to new technologies in the industry. This boom has generated substantial new tax revenues, while it has also obliged local governments to cope with strains on infrastructure and other services. Energy Initiative founding Director Richard Newell and Associate in Research Daniel Raimi are studying the fiscal impact on these local governments through the Shale Public Finance project, traveling across the country to gather information firsthand and hosting expert workshops at Duke. The project examines every major oil- and gas-producing state in the United States to see how state and local tax policies provide revenue, to measure the industry’s impact on service needs such as road and other infrastructure repair, and to understand which policies help the local governments’ fiscal picture – and which do not.
Read reports from this project and view an interactive map of our findings.
How much will global energy consumption grow over the next 30 years – 50 percent? Or just 10 percent? Global stock markets, policymakers, energy companies and major energy consumers make multibillion-dollar decisions based on energy forecasts from government organizations such as the U.S. Department of Energy and the International Energy Agency as well as companies including ExxonMobil and BP. But their projections differ in important ways – and they’re often difficult or impossible to compare.
Energy Initiative founding Director Richard Newell, former administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, is a globally recognized expert in producing and comparing these projections. Working with colleagues at Duke and elsewhere, he has developed methods to synthesize and compare various energy projections on a level playing field. This ongoing research seeks to improve worldwide understanding and decision-making across the energy spectrum through comparative analysis, retrospective assessment, and focused analyses of energy market and environmental policy options.
Learn more about our Global Energy Outlooks.
Increased energy efficiency can bring a wide range of rewards, from improved air quality to more secure energy supplies to lower energy bills. Duke University researchers are looking into a number of questions surrounding the “how” and “why” of energy efficiency, such as the impact of efficiency policies and the reasons why consumers do – or do not – adopt technologies and practices that cut their energy use.
Learn more about energy efficiency research at Duke.
Read about their work on the Institute’s website.