Johns Hopkins SAIS expert develops research that demonstrates emissions reductions of pricing carbon but warns of undercounting upstream emissions

New research co-authored by Sarah M. Jordaan, Assistant Professor of Energy, Resources and Environment at Johns Hopkins SAIS and Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, emphasizes the potential of carbon pricing for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Western Interconnection with a life cycle assessment of electricity generation.

 

The policy analysis titled “Grid-scale life cycle greenhouse gas implications of renewable, storage and carbon pricing options,” published in Environmental Science & Technology, demonstrates how carbon pricing is an important tool for transitions to low carbon grids, while identifying the potential for undercounted emissions across the life cycle. Jordaan and her team utilized life cycle assessment and the Johns Hopkins Stochastic Multistage Integrated Network Expansion Model to examine the life cycle environmental benefits of pricing carbon combined with incremental increases in renewable and storage capacity for the electricity system.

 

Jordaan is available for interviews and background discussions on the research and the following topics:

 

• Impact of carbon pricing on grid-scale emissions

• Environmental benefits of renewable and storage capacity 

• Opportunities to examine technology and policy in life cycle assessment

 

This research is co-authored by Benjamin F. Hobbs, Theodore M. and Kay W. Schad Professor of Environmental Management at Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, and Qingyu Xu, Postdoctoral Researcher at Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering.

 

The full policy analysis is available here. 

Miji Bell

Director of Communications and Media Relations

Johns Hopkins SAIS

+1 (202) 587-3205

 

Jason Lucas

Communications Manager

Johns Hopkins SAIS

+1 (202) 663-5620

A division of Johns Hopkins University, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a global institution that offers students an international perspective on today's critical issues. For 75 years, Johns Hopkins SAIS has produced great leaders, thinkers, and practitioners of international relations. Public leaders and private sector executives alike seek the counsel of the faculty, whose ideas and research inform and shape policy. Johns Hopkins SAIS offers a global perspective across three campus locations: Bologna, Italy; Nanjing, China; and Washington, D.C. The school's interdisciplinary curriculum is strongly rooted in the study of international economics, international relations, and regional studies, preparing students to address multifaceted challenges in the world today. 

 

For more information, visit sais.jhu.edu or on Twitter @SAISHopkins

 

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