Our Research
As the eyes of the world have focused on the nuclear crisis in Fukushima, Japan, Americans have begun to raise questions about the safety of nuclear power plants in the United States. American nuclear power plants are not immune to the types of natural disasters, mechanical failures, human errors, and losses of critical electric power supplies that have characterized major nuclear accidents such as the one at Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan. Indeed, at several points over the last 20 years, American nuclear power plants have experienced “close calls” that could have led to damage to the reactor core and the subsequent release of large amounts of radiation.
(March 2011)Ohio currently generates 85 percent of its electric power from coal, one of the dirtiest energy sources in existence. That makes our state the nation’s second-leading emitter of global warming pollution, costs us $1.5 billion annually on coal imported from other states, and threatens public health and the environment by releasing hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic chemicals into our air each year. Renewable energy and energy efficiency offer better ways to power our state. By decreasing the need for electricity from fossil fuels, these technologies help clean up our air and protect our environment, while also creating new jobs and new investment.
(March 2011)In recent years, energy efficiency programs launched at part of the EmPOWER Maryland Act have delivered significant benefits to Maryland’s economy and environment, saving money on consumers’ power bills and reducing health-threatening air pollution. The state will be unable to maximize these benefits, however, because it is not on track to meet the electricity savings goals established by EmPOWER Maryland, due in part to the mismanagement of the program by the Public Service Commission (PSC). In order to achieve all the benefits of energy efficiency, the PSC must do more to ensure that utilities meet EmPOWER Maryland goals by taking advantage of all opportunities to save energy that deliver a net benefit to the state.
(March 2011)Offshore wind energy provides a tremendous environmental and economic opportunity for Maryland. Catching the Wind describes how Maryland’s vast offshore wind resource can reduce dependence on coal-fired power plants and help the state meet its renewable energy requirements. It also describes offshore wind's potential to create thousands of jobs in dozens of fields – helping to sustain existing Maryland firms and encouraging the creation of brand-new industries.
(March 2011)Solar water heating has the potential to reduce America’s dependence on fossil fuels and curb pollution that causes global warming and respiratory problems. By taking advantage of America’s full potential to produce hot water for homes and businesses from solar energy, the nation could reduce natural gas consumption by 2.5 percent and electricity use by nearly one percent, while avoiding 52 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution per year – equivalent to emissions from 13 coal-fired power plants or 9.9 million cars. The United States should take aggressive steps to encourage the installation of solar water heaters on homes and businesses and to promote other solar water heating technologies that can make an even bigger dent in our consumption of fossil fuels.
(March 2011)