College of Engineering Joins Ohio State, Ohio University to Prepare Ohio for Climate Change Policies

Posted: 

The Ohio State University and Ohio University have received a $500,000 federal grant to collaborate on developing a climate change plan for Ohio businesses and communities.

The universities have been awarded the grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act State Energy Program. The project will identify policy options and perform an impact analysis to help the State of Ohio prepare for federal climate change policies.

Ohio University and Ohio State have outlined a 12-month work plan for a statewide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and development of a Web-based system for climate policy evaluation.

The project director is Scott Miller, director of energy and environmental programs, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University.

Joseph Fiksel, executive director of Ohio State’s Center for Resilience in the College of Engineering, will serve as deputy project director and lead the development of an energy-economic policy computer modeling tool to allow the state to analyze the economic, environmental, and social impacts of possible climate change policies. Fiksel’s team will utilize a dynamic computer modeling tool called T21-Ohio, developed in collaboration with the Millennium Institute of Washington, D.C.

“This is a ground-breaking project, combining multidisciplinary skills from universities and leading consulting firms to develop an integrated approach for state-level policy analysis,” said Fiksel. “We expect that other states will be interested in building on this experience.”

Andy Keeler, a professor at the Glenn School who does research in the field of environmental and natural resources economics and policy, will take the lead in evaluating existing and proposed state and regional climate change policies. His team will then make recommendations for an Ohio climate change plan based on their findings.

The team will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the opportunities and risks of greenhouse gas policies to Ohio industries with a special appreciation of the impact to Ohio’s energy-intensive industries. A final report will describe the strengths and weaknesses for a suite of policies available to Ohio leaders.

“How Ohio addresses the climate change challenge will have an impact on our economy for decades to come,” said Mark Shanahan, Gov. Ted Strickland’s Energy Advisor. “These American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will allow two great Ohio higher education institutions to help us make the right choices.”

Contacts:
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Bethany Close, 614-466-6619, or Communications and Marketing Office, 614-466-2609
Ohio State Center for Resilience, Joseph Fiksel, Executive Director, 614-688-8155, fiksel.2@osu.edu

Ohio EPA/Ohio Department of Development news release
Ohio Department of Development, State Energy Program