North Carolina Publications

OptimaCCS Carbon Capture and Storage Infrastructure Optimization: North Carolina Case Study

April 2012 - by Darmawan Prasodjo and Lincoln Pratson

The use of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the United States will allow coal-fired power generation to remain a major component of the nation’s energy mix while also reducing its carbon emissions. The cost of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) will affect the deployment of CCS, as will the costs for CO2 pipeline transport and underground injection. Transportation and storage costs can be minimized, however, by optimizing the design of the transport system. This report examines how a software program created at Duke, OptimaCCS, maps out cost-efficient options for overall CCS network design, including pipeline routes, necessary pipe diameters and lengths, efficiencies from using shared pipelines, and the impact of sequestration costs.

Profiling Local Climate Change Governance in the Southeastern United States

December 2011 - by Amy Morsch

While other regions have taken a more proactive approach, state and federal government officials and privately owned utilities have largely dismissed the idea of climate and energy policies in the southeastern United States. In this environment, many cities have developed climate and sustainability programs independent of state action. In the summer of 2011, the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions surveyed Southeastern cities with populations greater than 100,000 on their sustainability, climate, and energy policies and practices. This report presents the results of that survey, which reflect how local governments in the region are articulating goals, exercising influence and authority, and planning and implementing policy. The research revisits many of the topics analyzed in a similar 2010 Nicholas Institute report, and it provides a glimpse at the direction of local governments in the Southeast.

Considering Shale Gas Extraction in North Carolina: Lessons from Other States

November 2011 - by Sarah Plikunas, Brooks Rainey Pearson, Jonas Monast, Avner Vengosh and Rob Jackson

Because North Carolina has no active oil and gas production and no existing regulatory framework for this industry, it has a unique opportunity to build a program from the ground up. This paper looks at the environmental and health concerns surrounding hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas trapped below the ground, and shares regulatory approaches other states are taking to reduce these risks. Further, it focuses on several measures North Carolina lawmakers should understand when considering whether, and under what conditions, to allow shale gas extraction in the state.

Climate Ready Estuaries: A Blueprint for Change

March 2011 - by Bill Holman and Amy Pickle

Initially conceived as an outreach pilot to increase public and local government awareness in five counties of the Albemarle-Pamlico region, our Blueprint summarizes the initial outreach efforts, includes findings and recommendations for increasing the region’s climate resilience, compiles a resource of up-to-date science on sea-level rise impacts, and serves as a first step in educating the public and decision makers about the opportunities and challenges of becoming a climate ready estuary.

Payments for Nutrient Reductions and Ecosystem Services in Falls Lake

July 2010 - by David Gordon

Climate Ready Estuaries Preliminary Lessons Learned; Informing Communication Strategies and Recommendations

July 2010 - by Amy Pickle, Katherine McGlade, Joanna Field and Bill Holman

Perceptions of Water Scarcity in the Triangle

May 2010 - by Jennifer Fitts, Kevin Fritze, Shuai Shao, Angela Vasconcellos, Elise Vergnano and Emily Vuxton

Public Participation in Watershed Management: An Evaluation of the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project

May 2010 - by Brooke C. Gray and Dr. Lynn Maguire, Advisor

Public participation has become an increasingly important component of effective watershed management over the last twenty years. Conducted by the North Carolina Division of Water Quality, the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project is a collaborative stakeholder process that includes interested parties in drafting a federally mandated Nutrient Management Strategy. The Falls Lake Stakeholder Project worked to improve the stakeholder process by responding to issues recognized in a prior North Carolina Division of Water Quality project, the Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project.

How Can Local Governments in NC Change Stormwater Management Policy to Encourage Downtown Redevelopment and Improve Environmental Outcomes?

April 2010 - by Aroha Bahuguna, Matthew Jentgen, Molly Ward and Gray Wilson

Drawing the Line in Sand or in Cement: Preparing North Carolina’s Estuaries for Climate Change and Population Growth

November 2009 - by Katherine McGlade, Raphael Sagarin and Sheril Kirshenbaum

Ecosystem Services, Markets, and Red Wolf Habitat: Results from a Farm Operator Survey

January 2009 - by Randall Kramer and Aaron Jenkins

This report is part of a larger project that examines economic values generated by red wolf conservation and explores ways to use market-based incentives to encourage greater conservation effort by private landowners.

The Role of Offsets in Meeting Duke University's Commitment to 'Climate Neutrality': A Feasibility Study

November 2008 - by Eben Polk and Andrés Potes

2008 Report of the Water Allocation Study of the NC Environmental Review Commission

January 2008 - by Richard Whisnant, Bill Holman, Jeff Hughes, Leslie Kleczek, Greg Characklis, Mallory Dimmitt, Joe LoBuglio, Naomi Schwartz, Jennifer Platt, Sean Hughes, Shadi Eskaf, Andrew Westbrook, Alicia Guzman, Sybil Tate, Mary Tiger and Hannah Polikov

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