To address a wide range of energy problems the Nicholas institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and its colleagues have developed several models that operate at different geographic, sectoral, and temporal scales. We have developed, or have access to via strategic alliances with other research institutions, a complementary suite of integrated models that include: a model of the U.S. national energy system, a dispatch model of the U.S. electric power system, a plant-level decision model for resource planning of electric power plants, a southern U.S. forest resource model for bioenergy resource analysis, spatial models for siting pipelines for carbon capture and storage and a national model of the U.S. forest and agricultural sectors. 

The world is losing ecosystems such as tropical forest and coastal wetlands at an alarming pace. Along with being valuable sources of biodiversity, these systems are also tremendous stores of carbon. As these systems are disturbed, the carbon can be released to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and contribute to climate change. The Nicholas Institute informs the development of policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions that can provide economic incentives to protect these ecosystems. Work in this area has focused in the Amazon, forested areas in other developing countries and marine habitats.  

The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions informs policies and practices that help farmers and other landowners more cost-effectively address greenhouse gas emissions reduction, water quality management and endangered species protection. The Nicholas Institute’s work includes the design of incentive payment programs to induce environmental improvements to economic modeling of responses at the landscape to global level.  

Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions provides economically sound guidance and assessment of policy options to policymakers grappling with how best to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Work in this area has involved the design of economic instruments such as emissions trading, offset programs, carbon taxes, and complementary policies to induce innovation of low carbon-technologies.   

The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions is a respected voice—advising industry, government and NGOs on the likely implications of expanded by energy markets—in the often-contentious area of biomass energy production (particularly in the Southeast). Work by the Nicholas Institute has greatly increased appreciation of the greenhouse gas implications of bioenergy use and has been cited by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and members of the Scientific Advisory Board on Biogenic Accounting as a key example of the type of research necessary to develop workable approaches to track bioenergy carbon emissions.