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Abstract
This dissertation examines interconnected aspects of greenhouse gas emissions, energy use,and climate change impacts under the overarching theme of informing emissions mitigation policy
priorities in the United States. The first chapter explores causal relationships between economic
growth, disaggregated energy consumption across transportation, residential, commercial, and
industrial sectors, renewable energy use, and ??2 emissions using state-level data from 1997-2020.
Applying panel vector error correction models and fully modified ordinary least squares estimation,
findings reveal complex short-run interactions and significant long-run impacts of all energy
sectors on emissions, with the transportation and industrial sectors exerting the largest effects.
Evidence supports the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, and renewable energy demonstrates
emissions reduction potential. The second chapter evaluates the causal impact of state-level net
metering policies on residential greenhouse gas emissions over 1990-2020 using the Callaway
and Sant’Anna (2021) estimator to address potential biases in staggered policy adoption. Results
indicate modest but statistically significant emissions reductions that intensify over time, with
substantial heterogeneity across policy designs, political contexts, and underlying mechanisms of
solar PV adoption and grid interaction. The final chapter leverages remote sensing data and machine
learning models to predict county-level rice yields and associated methane emissions across six major U.S. rice-producing states from 2008-2022. XGBoost and Explainable Boosting Machines
accurately forecast yields as early as April-June, with soil properties emerging as key predictors.
Exploring yield-emissions trade-offs reveals a positive correlation between yield improvement and
methane reduction. Collectively, the studies advance integrated empirical assessments of historic
relationships between economic activity, energy systems, and greenhouse gas emissions across
scales. Findings directly inform prioritizing policy portfolios blending incentives, mandates, and
market reforms—from targeted strategies in high-impact sectors and net metering enhancements to
agricultural extension programs—to balance continued U.S. prosperity with climate resilience and
global leadership. Demonstrating interlinkages across sectoral systems, gas regulations, and regional
climate impacts cements the urgency and efficacy of coordinated federal action in partnership with
state and local initiatives.