Research

This study examines the share of soft costs in solar panel installation and offers policy recommendations for lowering the share of soft costs to make solar more competitive.

For most of the last decade, the leading causes of death in the U.S. have remained the same, and the steady increase in mortality over the years has been largely due to an aging population. But the 2020 death statistics will be different. With over 300,000 deaths projected by end of Dec 2020, COVID-19 will […]

An always contentious topic, crime and policing have been at the forefront of American life for the past few years, and even more so in 2020. While there is no comprehensive record of every incident that may have occurred, in the broader context of criminal justice reform, national- and state-level crime data do tell an […]

While COVID-19 has impacted and continues to impact communities worldwide, it is also changing, in perhaps sometimes positive ways, how we manage our daily lives. The pandemic has caused many of us to rely much more heavily on online services that allow us to work, shop and even have doctor’s appointments from home. It has […]

A review of a set of cost-effective and efficient technologies to help reach a 80-90% carbon-free grid.

A study modelling the potential tradeoffs of negative emissions technologies (NETs), including direct air carbon capture (DAC), on land, energy, water, and food prices globally.

This paper evaluates the impacts and tradeoffs of three distinct types of negative emissions technologies – afforestation, BECCS and DAC – in two emissions pathways to reach 1.5°C.

Even in non-pandemic times, K-12 schools tend to be under resourced, especially in low wealth areas, but now during the COVID-19 pandemic when government leaders face difficult decisions about how to allocate diminishing funds, K-12 education will face even greater budget constraints. While teachers’ salaries and funds for capital investment are critical, another equally important […]

Arguably, the most persistent demographic trend through the centuries in Virginia and the U.S. has been the difference in socioeconomic status between Black Americans and non-Black Americans. By many measures the socioeconomic gap between Black Americans and non-Black Americans has not changed considerably in half a century, adding fuel to assertions that many of our […]

A survey conducted for Albemarle County to determine residents’ opinions on the quality of life, present and projected infrastructure goals, city services, housing, and employment opportunities given the County's increasing population.