Energy Research Insights for Decisionmaking
Resources for the Future and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation host the Energy Research Insights for Decisionmaking conference in Washington, DC.
Event Details
Resources for the Future and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation hosted the Energy Research Insights for Decisionmaking conference in Washington, DC on November 29-30. The conference brought together a diverse community of stakeholders for a series of thought-provoking conversations about some of today's most pressing questions in energy and climate policy. Below, please find an overview of the conference's agenda.
Thursday, November 29th
Welcome and Introduction: 9:30–9:45 a.m.
- Evan Michelson, Program Director, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- Kristin Hayes, Program Director, Resources for the Future
Why Research Matters: 9:45–10:45 a.m.
- Joseph Aldy, Harvard University
- Carla Frisch, Rocky Mountain Institute
- Sheila Olmstead, University of Texas
- Jeff Holmstead, Bracewell LLP
- Moderator: Richard Newell, Resources for the Future
Concurrent Sessions: 11:00 AM–12:15 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions A and B dove deeper into key topics that lie at the intersection of research and decisionmaking. Each session included two research-focused presentations, followed by reflections from two discussants representing government, business, or other sectors setting internal or public policy. Each session concluded with time for open discussion.
Session A: How Effective are Energy Efficiency Policies? Evidence, Insights, and Open Questions
- Yueming “Lucy” Qiu, University of Maryland
- Fiona Burlig, University of Chicago
- Eric Matheson, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
- Val Jensen, Exelon Utilities
- Moderator: Karen Palmer, Resources for the Future
Session B: Shale Gas and Tight Oil: What Have We Learned, What Are the Gaps, and Where We Are Going?
- Bill Ritter, Center for the New Energy Economy
- Tisha Schuller, Adamantine Energy
- Mark Brownstein, Environmental Defense Fund
- Kate Konschnik, Duke University
- Moderator: Daniel Raimi, Resources for the Future
Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Researcher “Egg-timers”: 1:15–2:15 p.m.
This session featured short presentations from a number of Sloan-funded pre- and postdoctoral researchers at institutions across the country. Both the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and RFF are proud to support and showcase an impressive next generation of social science researchers.
- Justin Kirkpatrick, Duke University
- Sam Krumholz, University of California - San Diego
- Hyeongyul Roh, Duke University
- Paige Weber, Yale University
- Nahim Zahur, Cornell University
- Moderator: Brian Prest, Resources for the Future
Concurrent Sessions: 2:15–3:30 p.m.
Both Session A and Session B dove deeper into key topics that lie at the intersection of research and decisionmaking. Each session included two research-focused presentations, followed by reflections from two discussants representing government, business, or other sectors setting internal or public policy. Each session concluded with time for open discussion.
Session A: The Value of the Social Cost of Carbon: Updates in Science, Economics, and Decisionmaking
- Emily Wimberger, California Air Resources Board
- Janet McCabe, Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute
- Kevin Rennert, Resources for the Future
- Trevor Houser, Rhodium Group/Climate Impact Lab
- Moderator: Maureen Cropper, University of Maryland and Resources for the Future
Session B: Energy Infrastructure Across Scales: Micro to Macro, Days to Decades
- Michael Caramanis, Boston University
- Emily Fisher, Edison Electric Institute
- Chris Weible, University of Colorado – Denver
- Donald Santa, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America
- Moderator: Alan Krupnick, Resources for the Future
Emerging Energy and Environmental Technologies: Possibilities, Policy Implications, and Potential Consequences: 4:00–5:00 p.m.
- Alex Kizer, Energy Futures Initiative
- Amy Myers Jaffe, Council on Foreign Relations
- Greg Nemet, University of Wisconsin
- Gernot Wagner, Harvard University
- Moderator: Susan Tierney, Analysis Group, Inc.
Friday, November 30th
Funders’ Panel: The Role of Philanthropy in Evidence-Based Decisionmaking: 9:00–10:15 a.m.
- Bruce Rodan, US Environmental Protection Agency
- John Parker, National Science Foundation
- Irene Krarup, V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation
- Marilu Hastings, The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation
- Moderator: Evan Michelson, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Accessing and Working with Private Sector and Government Data: 10:15–11:30 a.m.
The availability of big data has revolutionized energy research in a number of ways, but access to valuable private sector and government data continues to present ongoing challenges. What have Sloan grantees learned from previous data-related collaborations? What other opportunities exist for expanded access to and use of large data sets in energy and environment research?
- Kyle Bradbury, Duke University
- Claudia Hitaj, USDA Economic Research Service
- Suzanne Russo, Pecan Street, Inc.
- Daniel M. Sullivan, Resources for the Future
- Moderator: Andrew Stocking, Principle Business Enterprises
The Road Ahead: Informing the Next Generation of Energy and Climate Policies: 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Resources for the Future and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation host the closing session of the Energy Research Insights for Decisionmaking conference, in which a panel of distinguished energy and climate journalists share their deep experience in tracking energy and climate policy developments. Given transitions in both the federal and state governments, what insights will a new crop of decisionmakers need?
- Amy Harder, Axios
- Evan Lehmann, E&E News
- Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic
- Moderator: Richard Newell, Resources for the Future
Featured Interviews
On Thursday, November 29th, RFF Senior Research Associate Daniel Raimi sat down with researchers to discuss projects across a range of topics supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The full interviews are linked below.
Examining New Models for Electricity Pricing, with Beia Spiller, Environmental Defense Fund
- Research Motivation - 1:21
- Electricity Pricing - 3:12
- Demand Charges - 5:03
- Pricing Power Appropriately - 07:13
- Are New Technologies Needed? - 09:20
- Smart Consumption - 10:07
On the Confluence of Research and Policymaking, with Sue Tierney, Analysis Group and Resources for the Future
- Evidence-Based Policy - 03:06
- Non-Evidence Based Policy - 05:28
- Communicating Research Effectively - 07:11
- New Technologies - 11:15
- Technologies of Concern - 14:24
- Policies to Enable Innovation - 16:10
Understanding the Social Cost of Carbon, with Richard Newell and Kevin Rennert, Resources for the Future
- What is the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC)? - 2:00
- Why RFF is Involved - 4:26
- What RFF is Doing - 7:24
- Socioeconomics and the SCC - 8:55
- Updating Climate Damages - 10:51
- Sharing Results on the SCC - 12:36
The New Geopolitics of Energy, with Amy Myers Jaffe, Council on Foreign Relations
- Learning About Energy Geopolitics - 02:02
- The Energy Race - 05:56
- Geopolitics of Decarbonization - 07:17
- More Complex Energy Supply Chains - 12:04
- China and Climate Change - 3:25
Developing Insights Using New Data Tools, with Kyle Bradbury, Duke University
