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Energy and Environment

RAND work in energy and the environment builds on a long history of research on policy issues, often balancing environmental protection with economic development and other social needs. Much of this work is done within the Environment, Energy, and Economic Development program of RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and Environment. View all Energy and Environment Documents Available Online or find general information at Reports and Bookstore.

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Public Investment in Rail Capacity Expansion May Be Justified but Strategy Needed — Aug. 19, 2008

The volume of freight transported in the United States is expected to double over the next 30 years. Greater use of rail freight could allow the supply chain to accommodate this increase while minimizing highway congestion and reducing fuel consumption.

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Major Technology Progress Needed for 25 Percent Renewable Energy Use to Be Affordable — Jun. 24, 2008

Dramatic progress in renewable energy technology is needed if the United States desires to produce 25 percent of its electricity and motor vehicle fuel from renewable sources by 2025 without significantly increasing consumer costs.

Full DocumentNews Release

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Natural Resources and Their Impact on Economic Development — Sep. 28, 2007

Research conducted within RAND Environment, Energy, and Economic Development focuses on environmental quality and regulation, energy resources and systems, water resources and systems, climate, agriculture, oceans, natural hazards and disasters, and economic development.

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View All »Related News & Commentary

June 24, 2008: Major Progress in Technology Needed for 25 Percent Renewable Energy Use to Be Affordable

June 23, 2008: U.S. Faces New Challenges in a Post-American World, But Can Overcome Obstacles

February 23, 2008: Concrete Closets Under Manufactured Homes Could Save Lives, By Charles Meade (Tennessean)

December 11, 2007: RAND Study Examines the Effect of Policy on Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses

November 29, 2007: On Carbon Dioxide, a Better Alternative, By Keith Crane, James T. Bartis (Washingtonpost.com)

View All »Featured Reports

Oil Shale Development in the United States: Prospects and Policy Issues In the early 1980s, industry and government took a hard look at the economics of extracting oil from vast deposits of shale that lie beneath the western United States. Oil prices subsided, and interest waned. With oil prices spiking and global demand showing no signs of abating, reexamining the economics of oil shale makes sense. In this report, the authors describe oil shale resources; suitability, cost, and performance of new technologies; and key policy issues that need to be addressed by government decisionmakers in the near future. Full Document

The Future of Genetically Modified Crops: Lessons from the Green Revolution The world is now on the cusp of a new agricultural revolution, the so-called Gene Revolution, in which genetically modified (GM) crops are tailored to address chronic agricultural problems in certain regions of the world. This monograph report investigates the circumstances and processes that can induce and sustain this new agricultural revolution. Full Document