Morocco: Sustainable Food-Energy-Water Nexus Transitions
This project will support life cycle sustainability and post-harvest solutions in the apple farming industry in Morocco’s apple-growing region of Midelt. This project is being conducted by the Midelt Apple Growers Association in partnership with US engineers, agricultural scientists, and social scientists from Michigan State University and Arizona State University. This combined international development and research project seeks to improve cold storage in the region, produce value-added products, improve life cycle sustainability, and increase social and environmental resilience. It also seeks to develop convergent research on social life cycle assessment methodologies. |
Solar siting on agricultural landsAs part of their renewable energy goals, Michigan utilities are planning to build thousands of megawatts of solar power in the near term. Much of this is expected to be sited on agricultural lands. With a team of junior researchers, I have conducted interviews with stakeholders on solar siting on agricultural lands and Michigan's requirements for pollinator habitat at some solar sites. Results will be available soon.
|
Socio-mobility transitions
I am working with colleagues in Civil and Environmental Engineering- Prof. Mehrnaz Ghamami and Prof. Annick Anctil- to study the societal perceptions and governance aspects of new forms of electric vehicle charging. Anctil and I are currently studying second-life battery systems. I have conducted focus groups and surveys on residential energy storage and electric vehicle charging as part of this research.
|
Transnational Grids
Despite policy discourses about achieving energy independence, there are numerous examples of increasing cross-border transmission lines and regional integration worldwide. For example, the Southern African Power Pool connects 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority connects six countries in the Middle East, Nord Pool connects Nordic countries and the Baltic states, and the ASEAN Power Grid seeks to interconnect nine countries in Southeast Asia. I am conducting cross-comparative research on grid integration and have developed a database of 59 existing and planned grid integration projects, encompassing hundreds of cross-border lines worldwide, using extensive literature review and document analysis, with a goal of including all projects and visions. The database incorporates 668 cross-border lines. I am working on a book monograph with collaborators Emily Fluent and Iza Graham that discusses the trend of international grid integration.
|