Valerie Thomas

Anderson Interface Chair of Natural Systems

Member Of:
  • Climate and Energy Policy Laboratory
  • School of Public Policy
  • ADVANCE IAC
  • Technology Policy and Assessment Center
Office Location: Groseclose 415

Overview

Valerie Thomas is the Anderson Interface Chair of Natural Systems, with a joint appointment in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the School of Public Policy. Her research interests span energy systems, sustainability, industrial ecology, technology assessment, international security, and science and technology policy. Current research projects include low carbon freight transportation systems, environmental impacts of food systems, and energy development in Africa. Thomas received a B. A. in physics from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Cornell University. She was a post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, and then a Research Scientist at Princeton University, in the Princeton Environmental Institute and in the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, and was a Lecturer in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. In 2004-05, Thomas was the American Physical Society Congressional Science Fellow. Thomas is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. She has served as a member of the US EPA Science Advisory Board, and as a member of the USDA/DOE Biomass R&D Technical Advisory Committee. 

Education:
  • PhD, Physics, Cornell University
  • BA, Physics, Swarthmore College
Awards and
Distinctions:
  • Georgia Tech Class of 1934 Outstanding Interdisciplinary Award, 2018
  • Fellow, AAAS
  • Fellow, American Physical Society
Areas of
Expertise:
  • Energy
  • Industrial Ecology
  • Lifecycle Analysis
  • Sustainability

Interests

Research Fields:
  • Agriculture, Health, and the Environment
  • Clean Energy
  • Climate Change Mitigation
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Energy, Climate and Environmental Policy
  • Global Energy Security
  • Global Nuclear Security
  • Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
  • Transportation
Geographic
Focuses:
  • Africa (Sub-Saharan)
  • Middle East
  • United States
  • United States - Georgia
  • United States - Southeast
Issues:
  • Energy
  • Environment
  • Environmental Performance
  • Food Systems
  • National Security
  • Science and Technology
  • Sustainability

Courses

  • PHIL-6000: Responsible Conduct-Res
  • PUBP-6701: Energy Technol & Policy

Publications

Recent Publications

Journal Articles

All Publications

Books

Journal Articles

Chapters

Conferences

Working Papers

  • The Economics of Four Virginia Biomass Plants
    Date: April 2018

    Global electricity generated from biomass more than tripled between 2000 and 2016, and it is forecast to grow at an increasing pace through 2050. Electricity generation from biomass is also expanding in the United States, particularly in the Southeast. Given the continued growth and policy support for biomass electricity generation, this paper assesses the economics of four Virginia biomass plants, three converted from coal plants in 2012 and one purchased and expanded in 2004. The goal is to estimate the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) generated from the plants as a metric of their level of competitiveness with respect to alternative ways of meeting electricity demand in the region. The LCOE of the four plants range from $93 to $143/MWh, about 40-53% more expensive than new solar and wind today and is double the cost of energy efficiency. Even with the inclusion of federal subsidies and environmental credits, Dominion’s biomass conversions are not competitive. Overall, our analysis underscores the risks associated with investing in large, long-lived generation assets at a time when technologies and markets are rapidly evolving.

    View All Details about The Economics of Four Virginia Biomass Plants

  • The Economics of Four Virginia Biomass Plants
    Date: March 2018

    Global electricity generated from biomass more than tripled between 2000 and 2016, and it is forecast to grow at an increasing pace through the year 2040. Electricity generation from biomass is also expanding in the United States, particularly in the Southeast. Given the continued growth and policy support for biomass electricity generation, this paper assesses the economics of four Virginia biomass plants, three converted from coal plants in 2012 and one purchased and expanded in 2004. The goal is to estimate the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) generated from the plants as a metric of their level of competitiveness with respect to alternative ways of meeting electricity demand in the region. The LCOE of the four plants range from $93 to $143/MWh, about 40-53% more expensive than new solar and wind today. Even with the inclusion of federal subsidies and environmental credits, Dominion’s biomass conversions are not competitive with several other established sources of electricity and affordable energy-efficiency options. Overall, our analysis underscores the risks associated with investing in large, long-lived generation assets at a time when technologies and markets are rapidly evolving.

    View All Details about The Economics of Four Virginia Biomass Plants

Other Publications