Research

A report offering case study observations that could inform efforts to create a more predictable, efficient, and timely permitting process for utility-scale solar facility construction in Virginia.

An intriguing phenomenon In the past, Asians in the US consistently enjoyed low unemployment across all racial groups, even in 2009−the worst year of the Great Recession. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, Asians experienced unemployment rates higher than Whites, peaking at 15% in May 2020. Even as the economy started to improve and the unemployment […]

Categories that are inaccurateFor more than thirty years, media headlines have touted a population tipping point in which the white majority is overtaken numerically by minorities of all other races and ethnicities. These headlines are misleading. The “white” majority only seems to be disappearing because a growing number of white Americans are counted as minorities […]

A review of a class project demonstrating environmental resilience work done in concert with the RAFT at the University of Virginia.

This study examines the share of soft costs in solar panel installation and offers policy recommendations for lowering the share of soft costs to make solar more competitive.

For most of the last decade, the leading causes of death in the U.S. have remained the same, and the steady increase in mortality over the years has been largely due to an aging population. But the 2020 death statistics will be different. With over 300,000 deaths projected by end of Dec 2020, COVID-19 will […]

An always contentious topic, crime and policing have been at the forefront of American life for the past few years, and even more so in 2020. While there is no comprehensive record of every incident that may have occurred, in the broader context of criminal justice reform, national- and state-level crime data do tell an […]

While COVID-19 has impacted and continues to impact communities worldwide, it is also changing, in perhaps sometimes positive ways, how we manage our daily lives. The pandemic has caused many of us to rely much more heavily on online services that allow us to work, shop and even have doctor’s appointments from home. It has […]

A review of a set of cost-effective and efficient technologies to help reach a 80-90% carbon-free grid.

This paper evaluates the impacts and tradeoffs of three distinct types of negative emissions technologies – afforestation, BECCS and DAC – in two emissions pathways to reach 1.5°C.