Research Engineer, ITS-Davis

Faculty member, Graduate Group in Transportation Technology and Policy

Adjunct research professor, Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University

Phone: (530) 754-9000
Fax: (530) 752-9812
Email: slyeh@ucdavis.edu

Ph.D., August 2001, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

My primary research interest is to advance the understanding of future energy systems and their environmental and social impacts, and to seek policy solutions that improve the societal process of making decisions for our future energy systems. More specifically, I am interested in understanding how technologies, economic and social changes affect future energy demands and environmental outcomes such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air and water pollution, resource depletions, and land use change. I am especially interested in understanding how government policies, especially incentive-based policies, and the process of decision making will affect the adoption of technologies and changes in the environment and societal outcomes.

I am passionate about advancing research in understanding our future energy challenges and better characterize their true environmental impacts. In addressing these challenges, I intend to identify robust and durable public policy processes that will implement standards that ensure environmental protection and fair distribution of social benefits, while simultaneously stimulating innovation and investment in desirable future energy systems. I intend to meet these objectives through hands on research, education and public outreach. In the past year and a half, I have been involved with the actual policy design and implementation of California climate policies, specifically the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32), the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and the Sustainability Plan for the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (AB118). The work has provided direct inputs to the areas of policy design and evaluation, lifecycle analysis, sustainability standard for low-carbon fuels, biofuel land-use change policy and forestry management. These efforts have proved that the integration of research, public policy, and stakeholder interactions are challenging but incredibly rewarding. The need for more science-based research to guide the public policy process and stakeholder communication is urgent and persistent. This leadership role in leading the science-based research for public policy and stakeholder interactions has filled in an important gap. But much more research is needed at this important cross-point. My work will fill in the need for research, education and public policy in helping to make better decisions for our future challenges of sustainable transportation energy needs.

Education

Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy (August 2001), Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

M.S. in Environmental Health (May 1997), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA

B.S. in Environmental Science (May 1995), Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.

Current Projects

• Sustainable Transportation Pathways (STEPS) Program lead - Thread 6 – Case Studies and Scenarios

The integrated scenario thread within the STEPS program is designed to incorporate results from various STEPS projects and develop integrated scenarios that cross-compare the potentials of transportation technologies and fuel pathway.

• California Energy Modeling for Policy Analysis
  

This research will model the energy system of California using the Integrated Markal-Efom System (TIMES). The goal is to provide a tool that analyzes the impacts of climate mitigation policies, as well as social, economic and technological changes, on future energy demands and technologies. The model will be a multi-sector model (including electric, transport, commercial, residential, industrial, agricultural and non –energy sectors) that projects to 2050.

• Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Implementation Studies

The project is a joint UC Davis and UC Berkeley effort to conduct studies related to the implementation of the LCFS and provide advice to policymakers by studying technical and policy issues related to the implementation of the LCFS, including lifecycle emission analysis, policy analysis, compliance and implementations, and environmental impacts and sustainability.

• National Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Study

The study will have two objectives: 1) design an effective and implementable national LCFS; and 2) compare an LCFS with other policy instruments that have the potential to significantly reduce transportation GHG emissions from fuel use. The study is led by ITS-Davis in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign, University of Maine, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Student

Postdoctoral researchers:

• Nicholas P Lutsey (2008-2009): Vehicle and alternative fuel technologies for greenhouse gas emission reduction in California: cost-effectiveness and policy implications. 
• Julie Witcover (2009-2010): Modeling the indirect land use change of US biofuel policies using the IMPACT model

Ph.D. students:

• David McCollum (2008-2010): Analyzing the Technical, Economic, and Environmental Impacts of California Energy and Climate Policies Using an Integrated Energy System Model. website 
• Peter Tittmann (2008-2010) co-advise with Bruce Hartsough: A framework for assessing the environmental performance of forestry in an era of carbon management. website
• Pu Chen (2009-2011)

Master students:

• Gouri Mishra (2008-2010): Global lifecycle water impacts of California transportation fuels.
• Eric Winford (2009-2010)
• Gary Chan (2009-2010)

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Opinions/Editorial

• Sperling, Daniel and Sonia Yeh. 2009. "Low Carbon Fuel Standards." Issues in Science and Technology (2): 57-66.
• Sperling, Daniel, and Sonia Yeh. 2009. "Transforming the Oil Industry into the Energy Industry." Access, 34: 20-28.
  

Journal Article

• Yeh, Sonia and Daniel Sperling. 2010. Reducing the Demand of High Carbon Fuels Through Low Carbon Fuel Standards: Challenges and Opportunities. Energy Policy. Invited for the special issue on Modeling Energy Demand in Transport. Submitted.
  
• Tittmann, Peter and Sonia Yeh. 2010. "A framework for assessing the environmental performance of forestry in an era of carbon management." Journal of Sustainable Forestry. Accepted.
• Sperling, Daniel, and Sonia Yeh. 2010. "Toward a global low carbon fuel standard." Transport Policy, 17(1): 47-49.
  
• Yeh, Sonia, Nicholas P. Lutsey, and Nathan C. Parker. 2009. "Assessment of Technologies to Meet a Low Carbon Fuel Standard." Environmental Science & Technology 43 (18):6907-6914.
  
• Yeh, Sonia, Alex Farrell, Richard Plevin, Alan Sanstad, and John Weyant. 2008. "Optimizing U.S. Mitigation Strategies for the Light-Duty Transportation Sector: What We Learn from a Bottom-Up Model." Environmental Science & Technology, 42(22):8202-8210. link Supporting Info
• Yeh, Sonia. 2007. "An empirical analysis on the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles: The case of natural gas vehicles." Energy Policy, 35(11): 5865-5875. link
• Yeh, Sonia, and Edward S. Rubin. 2007. "A centurial history of technological change and learning curves for pulverized coal-fired utility boilers." Energy, 32(10): 1996-2005. link
• Rubin, Edward S., Sonia Yeh, Matt Antes, John Davison. 2007. "Use of Experience Curves to Estimate the Future Cost of Power Plants with CO2 Capture." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 1(2): 188-197. link  IJGGC most cited paper!
• Yeh, Sonia, Daniel Loughlin, Carol Shay, and Cynthia Gage. 2006. "Impacts of hydrogen economy on transportation, energy use, and air emissions: an integrated assessment." Proceedings of the IEEE, 94(10): 1838-1851. link
• Yeh, Sonia, Edward S. Rubin, Margaret R. Taylor, and David A. Hounshell. 2005. "Technology innovations and the experience curve for NOx control technology." Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, 55(12):1827–1838. link
• Rubin, Edward S., Margaret R. Taylor, Sonia Yeh and David A. Hounshell. 2004. "Learning curves for environmental technology and their importance for climate policy analysis." Energy 29(9-10): 1551-1559. link
• Rubin, Edward S., Sonia Yeh, Margaret R. Taylor and David A. Hounshell. 2004. "Experience curves for power plant emission control technologies." International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy 2(1/2):52-69. link
• Yeh, Sonia and Mitchell J. Small. 2002. "Incorporating exposure models in probabilistic assessment of the risks of premature mortality from particulate matter." Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, 12:389 - 403. link
• Morel, Benoit, Sonia Yeh and Luis Cifuentes. 1999. "Statistical distributions for air pollution applied to the study of the particulate problem in Santiago." Atmospheric Environment, 33:2575-2585. link

Manuscript in Preparation

• Yeh, Sonia, Sarah Jordaan, Adam Brandt, Merritt Tureskey, Sabriba Sparati. 2009. Land Use Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Conventional and Unconventional Oil Production. website

• Yeh, Sonia, E. S. Rubin, D. A. Hounshell, and M. R. Taylor. 2007. Uncertainties in technology experience curves for integrated assessment models. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1154762 

Book Chapter

• Yeh, Sonia and Daniel Sperling. 2010. Role of Low Carbon Fuel Standard in Reducing (US) Transportation Emissions. Asilomar Transportation Conference Proceedings. In press.
  
• Lako, Paul, Sonia Yeh, M.A. van den Broek, and E.T.A. Hoefnagels. 2010. Pulverized Coal-Fired Power Plant. In Technological Learning in the Energy Sector: Lessons for Policy, Industry and Science, edited by M. H. Junginger and A. P. C. Faaij: Edgar Elgar (EE) publishers.
• Broek, M.A. van den, E.T.A. Hoefnagels, Sonia Yeh, and H.M. Junginger. 2010. Carbon capture and storage. In Technological Learning in the Energy Sector: Lessons for Policy, Industry and Science, edited by M. H. Junginger and A. P. C. Faaij: Edgar Elgar (EE) publishers.
• Yeh, S. and M. J. Small. 2005. Statistical Models for Distributions of Ambient Fine Particulate Matter. Environmental Security and Environmental Management: The Role of Risk Assessment. I. Linkov, Springer: 127-139.

Peer-reviewed Conference Proceeding

Rubin E, Yeh S, Antes M, Berkenpas M and Davison J. Estimating future costs of CO2 capture systems using historical experience curves. In: Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, Proceedings of the eighth international conference on greenhouse gas control technologies, 19–22 June 2006, Trondheim, Norway. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Ltd., in press.

Reports

Sonia Yeh, Daniel A. Sumner, Stephen R. Kaffka, Joan M. Ogden, Bryan M. Jenkins (2009) Implementing Performance-Based Sustainability Requirements for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard – Key Design Elements and Policy Considerations. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Research Report UCD-ITS-RR-09-42

Yeh, Sonia. 2007. Incorporating Technological Learning in the Coal Utility Environmental Cost (CUECost) Model: Estimating the Future Cost Trends of SO2, NOx, and Mercury Control Technologies. Prepared for the Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Rubin, E.S., Antes, M.K., Yeh, S., Berkenpas, M.B., 2006. Estimating Future Trends in the Cost of CO2 Capture Technologies, Report No. 2006/6. IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEA GHG), Cheltenham, UK. Rubin, Edward S.; Hounshell, David A.; Yeh, Sonia; Riahi, K.; and Schrattenholzer, L. 2003. The Effect of Government Actions on Environmental Technology Innovation: Applications to the Integrated Assessment of Carbon Sequestration Technologies. A final report submitted to Office of Biological and Environmental Research, U.S. Department of Energy, Germantown, MD.

Previous Projects

"Future Water Challenges in a Hydrogen Economy," US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). UCRL-PRES-235091. October 2007 – September 2008. Co-principal investigator.

"Technological Learning in the Coal Utility Environmental Cost (CUECost) Model: Estimating the Future Cost Trends of SO2, NOx, and Mercury Control Technologies," U.S. EPA. July 2006 – November 2006. Principle Investigator.

"Robertson Seminar Series: Energy and Transportation," a collaborative project between the Carolina Transportation Program, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences and the Nicholas Institute of Environmental Policy Solutions of the Duke University. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Fall 2006. Principle Investigator.

Highlight: David Greene "Transportation and America's "Oil Addiction": Is there a fix?"  see and hear the presentation here  (95 MB Flash).

"The Southeastern Transportation Center (STC)," a consortium of 10 universities from five states in DOT region IV. U.S. DOT. August 2006 – July 2009. Co-applicant and co-investigator.

"Estimating Future Trends in the Cost of CO2 Capture Technologies," International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme, UK. September 2004 – August 2005. Co-applicant and co-investigator.

"The Effect of Government Actions on Environmental Technology Innovation: Applications to the Integrated Assessment of Carbon Sequestration Technologies." U.S. DOE. July 2000 – June 2003. Co-investigator.

Service

• Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) – Greenhouse Gases Working Group and Implementation Working Group (2008-2009), Implementation Expert Group (2009-present)
  
• Member of National Academies’ Transportation Research Board Committee: Transportation Energy AD70 (2008 – 2011)
• Member of National Academies’ Transportation Research Board Committee: Transportation Energy and Alternative Fuels (2007 – 2008)

News and Media

In the News
Reports of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard work, presentations, and publications in various trade articles (e.g. AllBussiness, Goliath, Hart Gasification News, SustainableShipping News), news articles (e.g. San Diego News Room, RNewswire-USNewswire, International Bussiness Times), blogs, etc.

Interviews

Jeff Tollefson "Bioelectricity better than biofuels for transport." Nature, doi:10.1038/news.2009.450. 7 May 2009. subscription-free copy here

Naomi Lubick "Environmental costs of shipping." Environmental Science and Technology Online News –Policy News, September 19, 2007

Other

Job resources in energy, environment, and public policy (UC Davis students only)