Publications – PSE | Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy

NASEM Report: Evolution of Net Metering

Adrienne Underwood — Fri, 12 May 2023 22:17:19 +0000

Over the last three decades, changing economics, innovations across energy technologies, new policy objectives, and customer expectations have driven fundamental shifts in the electricity system. In March 2022, PSE Healthy Energy’s Dr. Elena Krieger was appointed to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on The Role of Net Metering in the Evolving…

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Air Pollution and Neurodegenerative Disease

Adrienne Underwood — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 22:34:35 +0000

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare neurodegenerative disease with no cure or effective treatment. Research suggests that PM2.5 exposure may contribute to other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, but few studies have evaluated the association between PM2.5 exposure and ALS. Exploring Relevant Time Windows in the Association Between PM2.5…

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Chemical Makeup of Gas Leaked from Abandoned Wells

Adrienne Underwood — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 22:24:00 +0000

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that there are over 3.2 million abandoned oil and gas wells in the United States. Research has found that volatile organic compounds are emitted during oil and gas development; however, studies of abandoned wells have focused on methane emissions because of their role in climate change. In a peer-reviewed study published by the American Chemical…

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Air Pollution and Health Impacts of Oil and Gas Production

Adrienne Underwood — Mon, 08 May 2023 22:51:55 +0000

Oil and gas production is responsible for 60 percent of the industry’s total methane emissions. While the effects of methane—a potent climate pollutant—have been studied extensively, there is limited research examining production’s impact on air quality and public health. In a peer-reviewed study published in the journal Environmental Research: Health, researchers from Boston University School of…

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Examining Natural Gas Odorants and Health Effects

Adrienne Underwood — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 22:07:09 +0000

The primary component of natural gas is methane, a highly combustible, yet completely odorless gas. Natural gas is intentionally odorized using a variety of sulfur-based odorant compounds to aid in leak detection. Without odorants, gas leaks would be completely undetectable. To date, no comprehensive assessments have been performed on toxicity or human health risks of commonly used natural gas…

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Equity-Focused Climate Strategies for Nevada

Adrienne Underwood — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 00:10:03 +0000

In 2019, Nevada set ambitious statewide goals to decrease greenhouse gas emissions 28% below 2005 levels by 2025, 45 percent below by 2030, and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Simultaneously, Nevada aims to generate 50 percent renewable electricity by 2030 and zero-carbon electricity by 2050. To achieve these targets, Nevada must undertake economy-wide decarbonization efforts.

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Equity-Focused Climate Strategies for Colorado

Adrienne Underwood — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 01:54:31 +0000

In recent years, Colorado has set ambitious statewide goals to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050, as well as a target to generate 100 percent renewable electricity by 2040. To achieve these targets, Colorado must undertake economy-wide decarbonization efforts. The state must expand energy efficiency measures…

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Analyzing Air Quality and Health Impacts of U.S. Appliance Standards

Warren Stokes II — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 22:22:46 +0000

Using fossil fuels to power residential appliances emits a range of pollutants that are harmful to human health. These pollutants include US EPA-regulated Hazardous Air Pollutants and Criteria Air Pollutants, the latter of which include fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). These pollutants can be emitted both from the residential appliances themselves…

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County-Level Inequities in Air Pollution Reduction

Warren Stokes II — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 16:46:37 +0000

The United States has seen reductions in air pollution emissions from various sources since the enactment of the Clean Air Act (CAA) in 1970. These declines have contributed to substantial improvements in air quality nationwide, however, studies show that racial and/or ethnic and socioeconomic inequities in exposure to air pollution persist across the U.S. despite the nationwide downward trend in…

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Impacts of Benzene Indoors from Gas Stove Combustion

Adrienne Underwood — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 05:49:16 +0000

A growing body of research has linked gas stoves to indoor air pollution, both from the combustion of gas and the leakage of unburned gas. These studies have primarily focused on nitrogen dioxide, which is linked to asthma and other respiratory conditions. More recently, researchers from PSE Healthy Energy have identified a range of hazardous air pollutants in unburned gas leaked from stoves…

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