Research & Publications

Last publications

Land Resources for Wind Energy Development Requires Regionalized Characterizations

March 4th, 2024

Estimates of the land area occupied by wind energy differ by orders of magnitude due...
Energy transition paradox: Solar and wind growth can hinder decarbonization

March 1st, 2024

The decarbonization of energy systems requires the deployment of intermittent renewa...
Inter‐Annual Variability in Atmospheric Transport Complicates Estimation of US Methane Emissions Trends

July 28th, 2023

US natural gas production increased by ∼43% between 2005 and 2015, but there is disa...
Air pollution co-benefits from strengthening electric transmission and distribution systems

April 15th, 2023

Inefficiencies in the transmission and distribution (T&D) of electricity between...
The life cycle land use of natural gas-fired electricity in the US Western interconnection

March 30th, 2023

Land presents a critical yet often overlooked constraint to energy development. The ...
Standardized metrics to quantify solar energy-land relationships: a global systematic review

February 27th, 2023

Ground-mounted solar energy installations, including photovoltaics (PV) and concentr...
Life cycle impacts of concentrated solar power generation on land resources and soil carbon losses in the United States

October 25th, 2022

Endpoint impacts related to the transformation of land—including that related to ene...
Global mitigation opportunities for the life cycle of natural gas-fired power

October 24th, 2022

Over 100 countries pledged to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 at COP26, but ...

All publications

Land Resources for Wind Energy Development Requires Regionalized Characterizations

March 4th, 2024

Estimates of the land area occupied by wind energy differ by orders of magnitude due to data scarcity and inconsistent methodology. We developed a method that combines machine learning-based imagery analysis and geographic information systems and ex...

Energy transition paradox: Solar and wind growth can hinder decarbonization

March 1st, 2024

The decarbonization of energy systems requires the deployment of intermittent renewables (wind and solar) with increasingly low costs. The growth of these renewables impacts power prices, which may influence hydropower investments and the adoption o...

Inter‐Annual Variability in Atmospheric Transport Complicates Estimation of US Methane Emissions Trends

July 28th, 2023

US natural gas production increased by ∼43% between 2005 and 2015, but there is disagreement among existing studies on whether this growth led to increased methane emissions. We evaluate the likely contributions of atmospheric transport to an upward...

Air pollution co-benefits from strengthening electric transmission and distribution systems

April 15th, 2023

Inefficiencies in the transmission and distribution (T&D) of electricity between suppliers and customers can lead to higher compensatory electricity generation and unanticipated air pollution. Using both life cycle assessments and uncertainty an...

The life cycle land use of natural gas-fired electricity in the US Western interconnection

March 30th, 2023

Land presents a critical yet often overlooked constraint to energy development. The transition to a lower carbon electricity system in the United States has involved a higher supply of natural gas, incurring the associated environmental impacts. We ...

Standardized metrics to quantify solar energy-land relationships: a global systematic review

February 27th, 2023

Ground-mounted solar energy installations, including photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP), can have significant environmental, ecological, and sociocultural effects via land-use and land-cover change (LULCC). Research in discipline...

Life cycle impacts of concentrated solar power generation on land resources and soil carbon losses in the United States

October 25th, 2022

Endpoint impacts related to the transformation of land—including that related to energy infrastructure—have yet to be fully quantified and understood in life cycle assessment (LCA). Concentrated solar power (CSP) which generates electricity by using...

Global mitigation opportunities for the life cycle of natural gas-fired power

October 24th, 2022

Over 100 countries pledged to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 at COP26, but whether gas can serve as a bridge to lower-carbon options remains disputed. With an increasingly global supply chain, countries have different responsibilities in mi...

Understanding and Anticipating Ecological Outcomes of the Renewable Energy Transition

December 15th, 2023

Emissions and Air Quality Impacts of Atmospheric Pollutants from Oil, Gas, and Coal Operations I Oral

December 14th, 2023

Land use for United States power generation: A critical review of existing metrics with suggestions for going forward (vol 143, 110911, 2021)

September 1st, 2022

Innovation in intermittent electricity and stationary energy storage in the United States and Canada: A review

April 1st, 2022

Gaussian process regression as a replicable, streamlined approach to inventory and uncertainty analysis in life cycle assessment

February 24th, 2022

Implications of generation efficiencies and supply chain leaks for the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of natural gas-fired electricity in the United States

February 2nd, 2022

Quantifying the ecosystem services values of electricity generation in the US Chihuahuan Desert: A life cycle perspective

March 7th, 2021

A Temporally-dynamic and Spatially-resolved Comparison of Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Coal and Natural Gas-fired Electricity in the United States

December 1st, 2019

Regional water-and land-use implications of reducing oil imports with natural gas, shale oil, or biofuels in the United States

September 10th, 2018

Country-level life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from liquefied natural gas trade for electricity generation

February 20th, 2018