Skip Laitner - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Skip Laitner

Recent interest in combined heat and power (CHP) is providing momentum to efforts aimed at increa... more Recent interest in combined heat and power (CHP) is providing momentum to efforts aimed at increasing the capacity ofthis highly-efficient technology. Factors driving this increase in-interest include the need to increase the efficiency ofthe nation's electricity generation infrastructure, DOE Assistant Secretary Dan Reicher's challenge to double the capacity ofCHP by 2010, the success of DOE's Advanced Turbine Systems Program in supporting ultra-efficient CHP technologies, and the necessity of finding cost-effective solutions to address climate change and air quality issues. The federal government is committed to increasing the penetratio'n of CHP technologies in the United States. The ultimate goal is to build a competitive market for CHP in which policies and regulations support the implementation of a full suite of technologies for multiple applications. Specific actions underway at the federal level include technology strategies to improve CHP data collection and assessment and work with industry to encourage the development of advanced CHP technologies. Policy strategies include changes to federal environmental peffilitting procedures, including CHP-friendly strategies in federal restructuring legislation, supporting tax credits and changes to depreciation requirements as economic incentives to CHP, working with industry to leverage resources in the development ofadvanced CHP technologies, educating state officials about the things they can do to encourage CHP, and increasing awareness about the benefits of CHP and the barriers limiting its increased implementation.

University of North Texas Digital Library (University of North Texas), Jul 24, 2000

This paper &scribes a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model with considerable sector and tec... more This paper &scribes a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model with considerable sector and technology detail, the Allik?odzdar lndzmly GrowthAssesmenf Model (AMIGA). E is argued that a detailed model is important to capture and understand the several roks that energy plays vvithh the economy. Fundamental consumer and industrial demands are for the semices from energy; hence, energy demand is a derived demand based on the need for heating, cooling mechanical, electrical, and transportation services. Technologies that provide energy-semices more efficiently (on a Me cycle basis), when adopt~result in increased fiture output of the economy and higher paths of household consumption. The AMIGA model can examine the efiects on energy use snd economic output of incresses in energy prices (e.g., a carbon charge) and other incentive-based policies or energy-efficiency programs. Energy sectors and sub-sector activities included in the model involve energy extraction conversion and transportation. There are business opportunities to produce energy-efficient goods (i.e., appliances, control systems, buildings, automobiles, clean electricity). These activities are represented in the model by characterizing their likely production processes (e.g., lighter weight motor vehicles). Also, muItiple industrial processes can produce the same output but with different technologies and inputs. Secondary recove~, i.e., recycling processes, are examples of these multiple processes. Combined heat and power ((33P) is also represented for energy-intensive industries. Other modules represent residential and commercial building technologies to supply energy services. All sectors of the economy command real resources (capital services and M@.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Jul 24, 2001

We review the relationship between energy efficiency improvement measures and productivity in ind... more We review the relationship between energy efficiency improvement measures and productivity in industry. We propose a method to include productivity benefits in the economic assessment of the potential for energy efficiency improvement. The paper explores the implications of how this change in perspective might affect the evaluation of energyefficient technologies for a study of the iron and steel industry in the U.S. It is found that including productivity benefits explicitly in the modeling parameters would double the costeffective potential for energy efficiency improvement, compared to an analysis excluding those benefits. We provide suggestions for future research for this important area.

Energy Policy, Apr 1, 1998

Climate protection policy and its analysis are pursued in the context of other societal goals, am... more Climate protection policy and its analysis are pursued in the context of other societal goals, among them the maintenance of economic growth and high employment. Too often, however, analysis of energy and climate policy does not realistically reflect technological conditions and the dynamics of technological change. This tendency unnecessarily associates the decline in energy consumption or carbon emissions with the

Sol. Age; (United States), 1980

The potential applications of solar energy and the development of other energy sources in the Mid... more The potential applications of solar energy and the development of other energy sources in the Midwest are discussed. Solar heating applications are considered economical in the Midwest because of the long and cold winters. Wind power and biomass conversion are also considered feasible sources of energy. The DOE has funded the Mid-American Solar Energy Complex to serve the 12 state region. So far, the agency has not been considered a success. Applications of solar energy and other technologies in the Midwest are cited and include a salt-gradient solar pond, solar space heating in a zoo, swimming pool heating, passive solar heated houses, the business district of a town, a summer camp, agricultural applications of solar energy, and biomass systems.

Industry Meets Government: Impact on Energy Use & Development,32nd USAEE/IAEE North American Conference,July 28-31, 2013, Jul 28, 2013

Ecological Modelling, Sep 1, 1987

As the world moves through a second decade of energy policy since the 1973-74 Oil Embargo, it str... more As the world moves through a second decade of energy policy since the 1973-74 Oil Embargo, it struggles to develop a coherent understanding of the role of energy in the economic process. Evidence is mounting that a changing economic landscape requires a fundamental re-examination of energy and natural resource policies. Among the new pillars of energy policy should be efforts to: (1) incorporate the prospect of resource constraints into development and employment strategies; (2) reintroduce the community as the focus of resource management decisions; and (3) acknowledge that increased expenditures for new resource development are not necessarily supportive of a community's need for gains in personal disposable income. Instead, resource efficiency, import substitution strategies, diversity in economic activities and better management techniques should be emphasized. This paper explores an example of locally-based energy management programs that can be used to offset growing resource constraints. Preliminary evidence from a number of community strategies in the State of Nebraska and elsewhere suggests that effective programs are those which have been anchored by the efficient use of indigenous resources and a diversity of resource management efforts.

Marilyn Brown, Professor, Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology Visiting Distinguished S... more Marilyn Brown, Professor, Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology Visiting Distinguished Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Marilyn A. Brown joined Georgia Tech in 2006 after a distinguished career at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. At ORNL, she held various leadership positions and led several major energy technology and policy scenario studies. Dr. Brown remains affiliated with ORNL as a Visiting Distinguished Scientist. Dr. Brown has authored more than 200 publications including a recently published book on Energy and American Society: Thirteen Myths. Her research interests encompass the development and deployment of sustainable energy technologies and issues surrounding the commercialization of new technologies and the evaluation of energy programs and policies. Dr. Brown serves on the board of directors of the Alliance to Save Energy, the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

The lesson to be gleaned from this strategic concept is that resource utilization, in all of its ... more The lesson to be gleaned from this strategic concept is that resource utilization, in all of its dimensions, should be viewed as a pillar of a state's development policies. Moreover, when used in conjunction with a community-based strategy, resource management issues can become a ''win-win'' tool which supports the local goals as they are articulated by local businesses and residents. The term used in the Energy Office that best describes this approach is ''infragrowth''-the strengthening of local economies from within through the efficient use of locally available resources. Opportunities for energy efficiency improvements are huge. It's been estimated that our economy operates at only a 10% efficiency level when all losses are accounted for. But the ''infragrowth'' concept extends well beyond energy consumption.

Four communities have been selected to participate in a Sierra Club Community Energy Project desi... more Four communities have been selected to participate in a Sierra Club Community Energy Project designed to bring together diverse groups of citizens to assess current and future energy needs. Plans will be formulated which emphasize conservation and renewable energy resources. The four communities are Claremore, Oklahoma, Missoula, Montana; Iowa City, Iowa; and Hanover, New Hampshire. (JMT)

World Resources Institute

This report discusses the employment effects of Michigan’s auto industry shifting from internal c... more This report discusses the employment effects of Michigan’s auto industry shifting from internal combustion engine vehicle manufacturing to electric vehicle manufacturing, with a focus on supporting a just transition for workers and communities. Using economic modeling from 2024 to 2040, the report highlights the importance of Michigan seizing the opportunities electrification presents. Additionally, it presents policy recommendations to help Michigan attract and retain good jobs, support workers and ensure local communities benefit from the transition.

Social Science Research Network, 2016

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016

Advances in the economics of environmental resources, May 19, 2004

Annual Review of Energy and The Environment, Nov 1, 2002

Students of public policy sometimes envision an idealized policy process where competent data col... more Students of public policy sometimes envision an idealized policy process where competent data collection and incisive analysis on both sides of a debate lead to reasoned judgments and sound decisions. Unfortunately, numbers that prove decisive in policy debates are not always carefully developed, credibly documented, or correct. This paper presents four widely cited examples of numbers in the energy field that are either misleading or wrong. It explores the origins of these numbers, how they missed the mark, and how they have been misused by both analysts and the media. In addition, it describes and uses a three-stage analytical process for evaluating such statistics that involves defining terms and boundaries, assessing underlying data, and critically analyzing arguments. CONTENTS

Energy Citations Database. ADOPT-A-DOC? Bookmark and Share (Link will open in a new window ...

The Canadian Journal of Economics, 1993

This paper analyzes long-term growth in a closed economy with human as well as physical capital. ... more This paper analyzes long-term growth in a closed economy with human as well as physical capital. The human capital corresponds to general education. Private utility maximization determines each child's schooling. Costs of educating a given individual are convex. Although self-sustaining growth is not possible, steady states with per capita output growing faster than the underlying rate of technological progress do emerge and the magnitude of some comparative-static results is increased. Section 3 attempts to pin down the degree of growth-rate amplification implied in practice, concluding with estimates of 30-50 percent.