RESEARCH AREAS
Researchers at ETIP identify and promote energy policy strategies for reducing conventional air pollution, minimizing emissions of climate-altering gases, lessening dependence on imported fuels, stimulating economic development, and alleviating poverty. ETIP researchers investigate the patterns and processes of energy-technology innovation, and especially the role of government policy in the development and deployment of advanced and cleaner energy technologies. ETIP concentrates on the electricity and transportation sectors, emphasizing policies for advanced-coal, carbon capture and storage, biofuels, cleaner and more efficient vehicles, and biomass-gasification technologies.
Global in orientation, ETIP focuses on three crucial countries: the United States, China, and India.
U.S. Policies on Energy and Climate Change
ETIP is one of the leading research groups studying and shaping energy and climate-change policies in the United States. Specific research areas include electricity, energy infrastructure, energy security, climate change, transportation, and energy-technology innovation policy. Through the National Commission on Energy Policy, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science & Technology (1994–2000) and other public and private entities, ETIP plays a central role in assessing U.S. energy policy and recommending specific policy actions. ETIP also produces a unique, annually updated time-series database on U.S. government spending on energy-technology research, development, and demonstration, which is an important tool for policymakers.
Download the database for FY 2012: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/20807/
In China, ETIP addresses energy-related challenges primarily related to the transportation and electricity sectors. ETIP’s work in China began in 2001 when it formed a partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) there to study energy-technology strategies in the Chinese context. Through this partnership and others such as the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Tsinghua University, ETIP has conducted in-depth research on Chinese energy and environmental policy for many years. ETIP also has promoted cooperation between China and the United States, facilitating the first joint agreement on to target mobile sources of air pollution between the environmental protection agencies of both countries. Research and policy focal areas in China include fuel efficiency standards, transportation fuel quality, development and deployment of advanced coal technologies, and international technology transfer.
In India, ETIP’s efforts are similarly devoted to the energy-related challenges of the transportation and electricity sectors, and thus its research focuses on technological change in the vehicle and electricity sectors. ETIP also concentrates on biomass gasification because as much as one-third of India’s primary energy comes from traditional biomass energy sources. ETIP’s Indian partners include the Energy and Resources Institute and the Indian Institute of Management. John P. Holdren is the chair of the U.S. Committee of the U.S.-India National Academies Committee on Energy and Environmental Cooperation, a joint venture of the National Academies of both countries.
