Publications

The shale revolution has dramatically increased drilling activity in both densely and sparsely populated regions of the United States, raising concerns over the health risks of living near oil and gas production sites.

This brief describes the impacts of the US shale revolution on local governments, and highlights strategies to plan for the future.

Using data from natural gas distribution utilities on expenditures and volume of methane leaked, this paper estimates the amount of money utilities are spending to abate leaks. Expenditures are suboptimal at less than the cost of gas itself.

The risks to water quality from hydraulic fracturing remains a prominent concern related to shale development that can be reduced through evidence-based rulemaking and sufficient enforcement.

RFF’s Roger Cooke discusses the confidence trap and how current conversations about climate change misallocate the burden of proof. Cooke was a lead author of the chapter on risk and uncertainty in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report.

Former RFF President Emery Neal Castle was a pioneer in resource and agricultural economics, a treasured mentor to many, and played a pivotal role in ensuring RFF’s future.

An increase in the federal gasoline tax could help fund the Highway Trust Fund, revitalize US transportation infrastructure, and address emissions concerns.

Ann M. Bartuska discusses the opportunities she envisions as vice president of RFF's new Land, Water, and Nature program

In 2008, former RFF President Emery Castle contributed the following article to Resources magazine, discussing the role of place in environmental economics. In memory of Dr. Castle, Resources is republishing.

Satellite data are valuable to society when they are used to make decisions that affect our well-being. Documenting these use cases can help demonstrate return on investment in satellites and data applications, and shape priorities across future investments.

The shale revolution has created substantial climate benefits in the near term and provided an even larger opportunity in the long term. Wise policy choices and technological breakthroughs are still essential for a more effective response to climate change in the future.

The urgent need to look beyond short-term setbacks in US climate policy should spur greater collaboration between the financial world and climate economists and scientists to address longer-term financial risks related to climate change.

RFF pays tribute to former RFF President Emery Castle and celebrates his work alongside the formation of RFF’s new Land, Water, and Nature program.

Through interactive graphs, RFF researchers simulate how the proposed rule would affect energy markets and social welfare.

This new study finds the dramatic US shale gas price declines increased manufacturing and energy intensive industry employment much less than previously thought.

We evaluate the roles played by prices and geological characteristics in determining well-level natural gas supply.

A $3.6 billion transfer from electricity customers to generators in New England highlights the need for greater coordination across natural gas and electricity markets.

After a downturn in drilling, most local governments in Colorado, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Texas continue to benefit from oil and gas development.

A workshop held by NREL and RFF surveyed changes in the electric power sector and extracted insights for market design and policy.

This paper explores four approaches to organizing electricity transactions in a world with low marginal costs.