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Analysis Activities by Organization
Representative: Gary Kleiman
Address: 101 Merrimac Street, 10th Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Web sites:
NESCAUM
Science and Technology
Multipollutant Integrated Policy Analysis Framework
NCASP
Organizational Objectives – Analysis
NESCAUM is a nonprofit association of air quality agencies in the Northeast. Our Board of Directors consists of the air directors of the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont), New Jersey, and New York. Our staff of thirty provide scientific, technical, analytical, and policy support to the air quality programs of the eight Northeast states. NESCAUM works to create effective solutions to critical clean air issues that harmonize environmental, public health, economic, and other societal goals through cutting-edge scientific research, policy analysis, outreach, and demonstration projects.
The Science and Technology Program within NESCAUM is focused on providing analytical capacity to explore these harmonized solutions via a multi-pollutant policy analysis framework that includes energy-technology models, regional air quality and regional economic models, as well as public health benefits assessment tools.
Analysis Activities – Relevance to Priority Topics
A) Enhance Research, Development, and Deployment Portfolio Analysis Tools
We have developed a regional-scale analysis framework that allows us to explore trade-offs and cross-sectoral interactions of various portfolio planning options.
C) Augment Energy Technologies and Demand Response Representation in Energy Models
We are working to improve the representations of technology options in the Northeast U.S. at the state level in order to provide realistic assessments of opportunities for technological evolution in our region.
D) Enhance Regional Technology Characterizations and Transmission Constraints in Energy Models
Given that we have developed a regional model, our primary focus is on ensuring an appropriate level of detail for technology characterizations to accurately characterize potential energy supply solutions subject to existing and projected regional constraints on technical, siting, and economic potential, as well as transmission and distribution constraints.
E) Improve Impact Evaluation Tools: Economic Development, Energy Security, Environmental Impacts
Our energy-technology model is linked to a regional economic model as well as a regional air quality model to provide complementary information on environmental and economic impacts of proposed technological changes.
F) Improve Policy Analysis Tools and Integration of Data and Tools at State and Federal Levels
Our modeling work is supported by organizational strengths in policy analysis and direct state engagement. These tools are being developed and utilized with participation of state working groups focused on energy and environmental impacts of energy production, transportation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The tools have been tailored to provide our state members with the outputs that are most relevant to decision-makers as well as state staff charged with implementing the programs designed to achieve environment and energy goals.
G) Enhance Biofuel Resource Potential and Infrastructure Analysis
Biofuel and biomass resources are included in our models and their characterizations are being refined to more accurately reflect the regional resources that could exist in the Northeast U.S.
H) Improve Behavioral Factors in Market/Choice Models and Tools
We have conducted sensitivity studies to the choice of technology-specific hurdle rates and continue to investigate the effects of hurdle rate on model behavior.
I) Other analysis topics of interest
We are pursuing opportunities to identify optimal energy/technology choices that will satisfy multiple environmental targets simultaneously. The targets and goals currently facing our member states include criteria pollutant NAAQS requirements, acid precursor and mercury critical load concerns, climate action plans, and regional haze reasonable progress goals.
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