SIA Research Seminar with Dr. Wei Peng of the Harvard Kennedy School
Date & Time: January 29, 2018 | 06:00 PM – 07:15 PM
Location: Sutliff Auditorium, 118 Lewis Katz Building
Join Dr. Wei Peng -- Giorgio Ruffolo Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Sustainability Science in the Belfer Center for Science and International affairs at the J.F. Kennedy School of Government -- for a presentation entitled "Integrating Environmental and Socioeconomic Concerns into Energy Strategy."
Abstract:
"Many countries are experimenting with ways to decarbonize the energy sector and address climate change. Meanwhile, local concerns, such as air pollution in China and coal job losses in the US, often dominate the public debate and shape present-day energy policies. My research utilizes integrated assessment methods to inform energy policies to simultaneously address local and global sustainability challenges. Here I highlight three key insights from my research. First, energy strategy may lead to a tradeoff between local objectives and decarbonization goals. For instance, based on an integrated assessment that combines emissions accounting, air pollution modeling (WRF-Chem) and epidemiological evidence, I find that electric vehicles powered by coal-intensive electricity can bring substantial local air quality and health benefits, while leading to an increase in carbon emissions. Second, the impacts of energy sector decarbonization on local objectives can vary significantly within a country. For example, by developing an optimization model to study China’s power system decarbonization strategy, I find that the regional patterns of air quality and water conservation co-benefits are considerably different. This is largely due to the differences in air-pollution-oriented and water-oriented transmission system designs when air pollution and water stress occur in different parts of the country. Third, local impacts of decarbonization can be significantly different from public perceptions. For instance, by comparing model results from a state-level integrated assessment model (GCAM-USA) with public opinion surveys, I find inconsistencies in many U.S. states between model-projected impacts (e.g. green jobs/energy price increases) and public beliefs. Therefore, understanding the local impacts and their interactions with climate action is important for energy policymakers to align decarbonization efforts with local objectives."
