Nic Lutsey Joins STEPS Research Team
Dr. Nic Lutsey joined the STEPS research team in the summer of 2008, after completing his Ph.D. in Transportation Technology and Policy at ITS-Davis. His primary research interest is the cost-effectiveness of emerging technologies to achieve environmental goals. For his dissertation, he created an analytical tool for evaluating technologies to reduce vehicle-related GHG emissions and comparing those strategies with options in other economic sectors. This work compares the cost-effectiveness—or cost-per-ton of emission reduction—of technologies across sectors using consistent assumptions. Some of his key findings were that goals for reducing GHG emissions will require widespread deployment of new technologies from every major economic sector, and that a number of vehicle and fuel technologies in the transportation sector offer particularly attractive options toward a comprehensive, cost-effective GHG mitigation program in the U.S. Lutsey’s postdoctoral research will continue to explore the potential of emerging technologies and their contributions toward cost-effective GHG emission reduction goals in California and elsewhere. In particular, he is extending his dissertation research to the context of California and its climate mitigation goals, investigating the potential for ancillary benefits of GHG-reduction technologies, and assessing the cost-effectiveness of possible compliance paths for a low-carbon fuel standard. Recent publications by Dr. Lutsey can be found at his research homepage: http://steps.ucdavis.edu/People/Nic-20Lutsey/nic-lutsey/
Donald Gautier, USGS geologist, presents on petroleum in the arctic