Modeling Tool to Evaluate Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Policies Now Available to the Public

BATON ROUGE, La. (Nov. 3, 2021) – A new tool, the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS), developed by the non-partisan think tank Energy Innovation, LLC, in collaboration with RMI and The Water Institute of the Gulf (The Water Institute), allows people to estimate energy policy impacts through 2050 and consider how policies interact with one another. This tool, now available to the public, is similar to EPS models developed for more than a dozen countries and several subnational regions including California, Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada, and Virginia.

“This modeling tool adds to the sound data and science that the Task Force is using to evaluate the potential impact of greenhouse gas reduction policies,” said Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. “It is also important that the public has access to the same tools as the decision makers so that they too can appreciate the difficult, necessary, and transformational decisions the Task Force is grappling with.”

The Louisiana EPS will be used by the Climate Initiatives Task Force to evaluate the most effective recommendations for achieving Louisiana’s climate goals while expanding the economy and protecting Louisianans from the worst impacts of climate change.

“The Louisiana EPS has already provided valuable insights to the Task Force and planning team about how to revise and improve the draft set of climate strategies and actions for greater impact. Analyses modeled in the tool have served as a strong foundation for the Task Force to understand potential consequences, tradeoffs, and priorities to consider and balance moving forward,” said Allison DeJong, planner and policy researcher at The Water Institute.

The EPS was used to help evaluate the Draft Climate Strategy and Action Portfolio released by the Task Force in August and those results informed the deliberations of the Task Force’s meeting on Oct. 26. The EPS analysis of this portfolio, prepared by The Water Institute, showed that the potential implementation of the draft portfolio could produce a net gain of 165,000 jobs by 2050, reduced premature deaths by 1,800 each year, and avoided 55,000 asthma attacks per year while reducing Louisiana’s greenhouse gas emissions by 169 million metric tons.

The EPS tool is now also available to the public, allowing any user to select greenhouse gas reduction policies and determine their impacts within a tool built to reflect the Louisiana context and data.

Also available today is the 2021 Louisiana Greenhouse Gas Inventory Update, prepared by the LSU Center for Energy Studies. This inventory utilizes the EPA State Inventory Tool and offers detailed information across all emissions sectors. Together the EPS tool and the Inventory show the magnitude of the state’s emissions challenges alongside the numerous opportunities that exist to drive down statewide emissions under different scenarios.

“We created this technology-neutral tool to empower policymakers across the U.S. to make informed choices about energy policy,” said Energy Innovation’s Senior Director of Energy Policy Design, Robbie Orvis. “What the modeling projects for Louisiana is what we are already seeing play out in other states and countries - new investments in clean energy and more efficient industrial processes not only grow the economy and create jobs, but protect public health.”

The Task Force will review the final Draft Portfolio in December, when it will be released to the public for comment. The final plan will be delivered to Governor Edwards by February 2022.