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Deeper Decarbonization in the Ocean State

This study – from SEI and Brown University’s Climate and Development Lab – finds that Rhode Island can feasibly decarbonize its economy in one or two decades.

Jason Veysey / Published on 12 September 2019
Download  Deeper Decarbonization in the Ocean State / PDF / 2 MB
Citation

Veysey, J., Roberts, J.T., Traver, D., Cotler, B., Gross, B. and Kim, A. (2019). Deeper Decarbonization in the Ocean State: The 2019 Rhode Island Greenhouse Gas Reduction Study. Stockholm Environment Institute and Brown University Climate and Development Lab. Research Report.

This study was the result of communications between the Office of the Governor and the Climate and Development Lab at Brown University, indicating that the state could take on more ambitious targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases if the efforts were shown to be feasible. Much of the state’s 2016 Greenhouse Gas Plan was built on computer models built by the Stockholm Environment Institute, who were contracted again for this study to improve that study’s baseline and consider more ambitious pathways of action.

Like the 2016 study, this one affirms three main efforts to get to 70% to 80% emissions reductions: electrify everything (especially cars and heating systems), focus on efficiency, and “green the grid” by replacing coal, gas and oil power plants with renewables. This study’s findings further show the urgent need to reduce methane emissions specifically, from natural gas transmission and distribution and other sources, as methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over shorter time scales.

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Deeper Decarbonization in the Ocean State / PDF / 2 MB

SEI author

2018 portrait of jason veysey
Jason Veysey

Energy Modeling Program Director and Senior Economist

SEI US

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