SEPAE                                                                   ENERGY CENTER

Current Projects

Social, Economic, and Political Aspects of U.S. Ethanol Policy
Funding Source: National Science Foundation program on Human and Social Dynamics

The research addresses the economic consequences of the seven most likely forms of U.S. ethanol policy and the public and political reactions to these policies. The proposed activities include economic modeling, focus group and survey research on public perceptions of ethanol policies, comparisons between perceptions of the lay public and political elites in states that differ in support for using genetically modified plants to produce ethanol, and laboratory research on decision processes related to ethanol.

Analysis of Global Economic and Environmental Impacts of a Substantial Increase in Bioenergy Production
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Energy

The goal of this research is to develop realistic assessments of the economic and environmental impacts of regional and global policies designed to stimulate bioenergy production and use. We will build on the unique strengths of the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) to analyze economic impacts of alternative bioenergy policies at regional and global levels. We will use the Terrestrial Ecosystems Model (TEM) model to evaluate the potential for new lands to be brought into production in the wake of biofuel programs, as well as to validate environmental consequences of these policies and check their feasibility from a fundamental bio-geochemical perspective.