URBAN LAND INSTITUTE
A common perception exists that unit sizes in new apartments have been shrinking as developers seek higher density and higher revenue per square foot to offset rising land value and construction costs and to hold monthly rent at an affordable level relative to income. The ultimate incarnation of this trend has been the introduction—or the reintroduction—of very small units, often referred to as micro units.
CNA CORPORATION
To determine how Texas could be affected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean Power Plan (CPP), we applied CNA’s Electricity-Water-Climate power sector model to evaluate the potential impacts. We find that under the CPP, the state will save water and reduce levels of conventional air pollutants. In addition, the state will be able to meet the policy’s targets with modest incremental effort even though electricity demand is expected to increase by 25 percent.
MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE
Between 1999 and 2011 consumers in the U.S. experienced an unprecedented increase in and fluctuation of gasoline prices. In July 2008, gasoline prices exceeded $4 per gallon, marking the highest price in real value in U.S. history. In the same year, the nation’s transit ridership reached 10.7 billion trips, the highest level since the Federal- Aid Highway Act of 1956…The rising gasoline prices were considered to have resulted in substantial changes in travel behavior in terms of trip taking, choices of travel destinations, selection of vehicles for higher fuel efficiency, or travel mode. A change in travel mode from driving to transit results in a higher level of transit demand and ridership for transit agencies. With this background, gasoline price increases in the last decade have generated substantial interest in developing a better understanding of how people respond to fluctuations in gasoline prices—particularly with respect to switching modes from driving to public transit—so that transit agencies can better prepare for higher demand for their services during periods of increased gasoline prices.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE
Over the past decade, distributed solar photovoltaics (DPV) have experienced unprecedented growth. DPV is now on track to achieve significant scale in many segments of the U.S. market…Supportive federal, state, and local policies have to date spurred DPV’s development in many U.S. markets. However, many of these policies were designed for early market support of an emerging technology, not as long-term solutions. Thus as the DPV market has grown, so too has conflict around early-market policies. In many states, regulators and policy makers are now reexamining the policy environment as solar adoption reaches net energy metering (NEM) market caps or incentive program funding is exhausted.
NEW YORK STATE ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (NYSERDNA)
In recognition of the increased risk of accidents and public concerns associated with the significant volume of crude oil transported through New York State, on January 28, 2014, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued Executive Order 125 (EO 125), directing state agencies to immediately conduct a coordinated review of New York State’s crude oil incident prevention and response capacity.
ENO CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION
The current federal program for funding surface transportation infrastructure in the United States is broken. Since 2008, the U.S. Highway Trust Fund (HTF) has repeatedly been on the brink of insolvency, necessitating five infusions from the U.S. Treasury’s General Fund. Many solutions have been proposed to stabilize funding for the federal surface transportation program, but each has confronted substantial political barriers. This study details the circumstances that have led the U.S. transportation program to its current funding situation and explores how other nations have created sustainable mechanisms for ensuring adequate national level investment in surface transportation systems.
ERNEST ORLANDO LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY
End-use energy efficiency is increasingly being relied upon as a resource for meeting electricity and natural gas utility system needs within the United States. There is a direct connection between the maturation of energy efficiency as a resource and the need for consistent, high-quality data and reporting of efficiency program costs and impacts. To support this effort, LBNL initiated the Cost of Saved Energy Project (CSE Project) and created a Demand-Side Management (DSM) Program Impacts Database to provide a resource for policy makers, regulators, and the efficiency industry as a whole.
UPPER GREAT PLAINS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE
Drilling shale oil wells generates a large amount of truck traffic. Heavy loads required by drilling activities damage local roads, resulting in the need for several hundred million dollars for repair and maintenance. To support logistical activities for efficient energy development, a proactive approach is required for allocating investments for paving road and timely maintenance. Forecasting load impact on a road network is essential for estimating pavement and repair costs to support energy logistics.
NEW YORK PUBLIC TRANSIT ASSOCIATION, INC.
This report presents the infrastructure needs of urban area transit systems in Upstate New York and in Downstate Suburban Counties (other than the transit services operated by the MTA). There are over 100 transit systems that provide public transportation service outside New York City. These systems operate in nearly every county of the state and transport more than 550,000 people each day.
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