Johns Hopkins SAIS Professor Sarah Jordaan and her colleagues develop research debunking myths about land required for renewable energy
MEDIA ADVISORY
Population growth and increased demand of energy are forcing decision makers to consider the environmental impact of ongoing and future power generation projects. To assess potential effects of these projects, Sarah Jordaan, a Johns Hopkins faculty member with appointments at Johns Hopkins SAIS and the Whiting School of Engineering, completed an analysis published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology examining land use and ecosystem services values of electricity generation.
The analysis focuses on energy infrastructure in the Chihuahuan Desert in the southwestern United States. It is one of Jordaan's several articles debunking the myth that electricity from renewable sources always requires more land than fossil fuels. Her goal was to create a consistent comparison of the surface land requirements and ecosystem service values of three different electricity generation technologies: wind, solar, and natural gas. Using a life cycle perspective, the analysis included both the fuel supply and the reclamation of natural gas wells. To quantify land requirements and ecosystem services, Jordaan and her team utilized the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity framework.
Jordaan is available to discuss the case study and can also address the following questions:
- How does land transformation and land reclamation factor in to ecosystem services values?
- What makes the land-use intensity of wind and solar electricity generation smaller than that of natural gas?
- How may land be used more efficiently over time by energy developments?
Read the analysis, here.
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Johns Hopkins SAIS
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 more75 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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