Publication: CETEP Energy

By 2050, it is expected that 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas.³ As we become more urbanized, the benefits that urban forests provide are becoming more important. They provide economic benefits to the local economy through tourism and recreation as well as supporting physical and mental health and improve urban air…

Relevant features that define how quickly the US can decarbonize passenger vehicles include the rate of stock turnover, defined as how quickly new vehicles replace scrapped used vehicles, and emissions from electricity production. Using 2002-2020 passenger vehicle registrations data, we document features suggesting that stock turnover has slowed down over time. We then build a…

The Tennessee Valley Authority and University of Tennessee Baker Center for Public Policy are partnering on a study to ensure a competitive and clean economy for the Tennessee Valley through 2050. Building on TVA’s reliable, resilient, low-cost, and increasingly clean energy, the study will: Build partnerships across all sectors of the Valley to move to…

We estimate models of scrappage rates and survival probabilities as a function of vehicle age for U.S. light-duty vehicles. We use counts of vehicles in operation by vehicle type and model year for calendar years 2002-2020, which allows us to estimate scrappage functions for years 2003-2020. We estimate models for three vehicle types: passenger cars,…

This report presents the results of statistical models estimating scrappage rates and survival probabilities as a function of vehicle age for U.S. light-duty vehicles. Using vehicle counts by type and model year from 2002 to 2020, the analysis estimates scrappage functions for the 2003–2020 period. Separate models were developed for three vehicle categories: passenger cars,…

Reliance on natural gas has grown significantly in Tennessee and it will remain a key component of the state’s energy portfolio for the foreseeable future. Adequate and stable natural gas supplies, along with competitive prices and a safe system of distribution, will be essential to the state’s economic security and its future path of economic…

The Knoxville Urban Wilderness (KUW) is a successful example of a growing global movement to utilize vacant urban land as many cities “de-urbanize”. A key question is whether this particular kind of green space promotes social inequality via green gentrification. Our analysis shows how the KUW has affected nearby home prices. Socioeconomic data including income,…

A thorough understanding of the relationships between sociodemographic factors and environmental quality remains limited. Although previous research has examined individual sociodemographic and environmental quality indicators, comprehensive assessments of how these factors interact are still lacking. In this study, we used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and environmental quality…

Achieving near-zero greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by 2050 presents a significant challenge for public policy. Transportation systems require energy to move people and goods, and currently rely on fossil carbon fuels for more than 90% of their energy needs, a trend that has persisted since at least the middle of the twentieth century (Davis…

Wetlands provide a range of services that benefit humans. Estimating the total economic value of wetlands requires accounting for all of these services, even though most are not monetized through markets. Wetland values fall under four main categories (Boyer and Polasky 2004): (1) direct use values such as recreation and provision of food or fuel;…