Clean Energy Innovation and Policy

In this area, we study:

  • Clean energy technology innovation and diffusion
  • Impacts and implementation of energy policies and sustainability programs
  • Community engagement approaches
  • Energy justice

Lead Faculty:

Recent Projects:

Collaborative Research: Energy Efficiency and Energy Justice: Understanding Distributional Impacts of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programs and the Underlying Mechanisms

Funded by the National Science Foundation. (2315027). Total award: $625,280. FSU Portion: $ 425,280.

Principal investigator:

Co-principal investigators:

A Socially Informed Electric Vehicle Promotion Framework for Rural Innovation towards Environmental, Social, and Economic Sustainability

This project aims to promote the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in rural communities to address environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Despite the federal government’s efforts to electrify transportation, rural areas have low EV usage and limited charging infrastructure. The project proposes a data-driven framework to understand barriers to rural EV adoption, predict charging demand, and design cost-efficient charging infrastructure. The interdisciplinary team will investigate drivers and barriers, predict charging demand, develop a decision-making tool, and provide training to stakeholders in the Florida Panhandle region. The ultimate goal is to enhance sustainability by facilitating EV adoption in rural communities.

Funded by Florida State University. Total award: $150,000.

Principal investigator:

Does the Targeted Community Outreach Improve Civic Engagement among Marginalized Populations? Evidence from the Tallahassee Neighborhood REACH Program

Funded by Florida State University Institute of Politics. Total award: $20,000.

Principal investigator:

Co-principal investigators:

PolicyGreen: Annual Sustainability Survey for Local Policymakers

This initiative conducts annual national surveys targeted at municipal decision-makers, including mayors, council members, and city managers. The surveys aim to collect insights and proposed solutions concerning sustainable development and natural disaster resilience at the local government level. Additionally, we facilitate collaborations among citizens, academic institutions, and our local government partners.

Principal investigator:

Co-principal investigators:

SolSmart Program Evaluation (2020-2021)

This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office under Award Number via a subcontract with The Solar Foundation. Collaboration with Missouri S&T, U Miami, & UT Austin.

Total Award: $145,000.

SolSmart is a national designation and technical assistance program that aims to help local governments make it faster, easier, and more affordable to go solar. This project is a third-party evaluation of the impacts of SolSmart. Using mixed methods, we find that SolSmart has real and perceived tangible impacts on solar adoption in designated communities. <Learn More>

Community Partners:

Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office
IREC
ICMA

PUBLICATIONS:

  1. Lee, H. (2022). Collaborative governance platforms and outcomes: An analysis of Clean Cities coalitions. Governance. https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12702
  2. Gao, X., Canfield, C., Tang, T., Hill, H., Higman, M., & Cornwell, J. (2022). Encouraging Voluntary Government Action via a Solar-Friendly Designation Program to Promote Solar Energy in the U.S. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(11). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2106201119