Land Use

Many new energy technologies, such as biofuels and solar farms, require enormous amounts of land if deployed at scale, putting them in competition with other land uses like growing food. Stanford researchers are studying the impacts of increased production of biomass and biofuels on the environment, food security and agriculture markets. One area of research focuses on the potential benefits of integrating large solar projects with agriculture. Another team is developing a financial valuation of the ecological benefits of replacing coal-fired generating stations with solar power plants. Other studies are exploring the risks that carbon sequestration could trigger earthquakes and the land-use impacts of nuclear power.