Simulating regional effects of U.S. climate policies with the CIMS-US model

In this project, I disaggregate the energy-economy model CIMS-US into four United States (U.S.) regions, Midwest, Northeast, South and Pacific/Mountain, to obtain regional resolution for climate policy effects on the electricity generation and transportation sectors. Five policies are modelled to reach climate targets previously set by President Obama: the Clean Power Plan (CPP), a coal and natural gas phase-out regulation, Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, and a Vehicle Emission Standard. Lastly, a carbon tax is applied across all sectors in the economy. My results show that Midwest is the most emission-intensive region. Due to the effects of pre-existing California climate policies, Pacific/Mountain experiences the lowest marginal abatement costs to decarbonize its electricity sector. Low marginal abatement costs can induce deeper reductions in full cycle emissions from electricity-powered vehicles. Because of insufficient regional variation in my results, I suggest an alternative disaggregation method.