Energy, Environmental & Climate Policy

In matters related to federal, regional, and state energy, climate, and other environmental policies, we have worked with clients on emission market design, renewable-portfolio standard design and evaluation, renewable-asset market valuation, emission allowance pricing and impact assessment, and clean energy development and commercialization.

Our engagements have targeted specific renewable technologies and related infrastructures, as well as energy-efficiency technologies, programs, and policies, including the impacts on energy-intensive, trade-sensitive industries. Our modeling capabilities play a critical role in our policy analyses.

Our team and top experts have worked with stakeholders in a variety of contexts to provide:

  • Analysis of environmental and economic effectiveness of proposed environmental regulations, including policies targeting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water regulation
  • Modeling of the economic and power-system impacts of climate and other clean energy laws and regulations
  • Analysis of CO2 emissions policy for electricity generators
  • Development of potential compliance mechanisms for proposed federal climate regulations, and drafting monitoring and verification guidelines for energy-efficiency compliance approaches
  • Testimony before state and federal agencies and legislatures on climate policy designs
  • Development of white papers and public comments on the design of GHG cap-and-trade systems
  • Analysis of environmental and economic effectiveness of the low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS)
  • Internal assessment and comment on California climate policy development
  • Assessment of the implications of high-penetration intermittent and demand-side resources for electric system costs, emissions, and performance
  • Development of policy options regarding transmission facilities to integrate offshore wind power
  • Modeling of economy-wide energy savings from technology firms’ portfolios of products and services
  • Collaboration on corporate strategy to create greenhouse gas reduction commitments
  • Analysis of financial incentives for utilities to invest in energy efficiency and other demand-side resources
  • Assessment of policy design, costs and benefits, and cost-recovery policies for renewable energy credits (RECs), clean energy standards (CES), and energy-efficiency resource standards (EERS)
  • Estimation of the economic value of clean energy resources
  • Analysis of options for long-term contracts with different energy projects with different cost, emission, and risk profiles
  • Estimation of the embedded cost of energy in water, and development of water pricing and water allocation approaches
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