Denver Law Adjunct Professor Catherine Keske Studies how to Convert Animal and Food Waste to Energy

Denver Law Adjunct Professor Catherine Keske is conducting work to determine how to convert animal and food waste into energy, in an economically feasible way.

One technology is "anaerobic digestion." This involves using microbes to convert the waste into methane. The methane is captured and is either used as biogas (to heat a boiler) or converted into electricity through a generator. The methane capture reduces green house gas emissions and creates energy.

Dr. Keske, a leading resource economist and professor at Colorado State University, says:

"My findings have shown that in the western U.S., scarce water resources yield different agricultural management practices than in the eastern U.S. Less water, as well as relatively low energy prices, make anaerobic digestion less economically feasible than in the eastern U.S. However, some western municipalities and agricultural operations have shown that they can successfully implement anaerobic digestion if they can appropriately offset the costs. Nuisiance lawsuit mitigation is another factor that could make the anaerobic digestion technology economically feasible.

"Right now I am working with early adoptors to identify the elements that have made anaerobic digestion economically feasible for their company. This way, we can replicate their work with other operations."

Dr. Keske has been funded by four different agencies (National Resource Conservation Service, the Colorado Governor's Energy Office, U.S. A.I.D. and Montana State University Extension) to study the issue. She works rather closely with Dr. Sybil Sharvelle, a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State. Dr. Sharvelle is developing technology, which she calls, "dry digestion technology" that can make anaerobic digestion feasible in arid climates like Colorado. Should dry digestion technology become commercially available, costs associated with water will also be reduced and more operations might be able to adopt anaerobic digestion technology.

Interested readers can download the technical report written for the Colorado Governor's Energy Office by clicking here.

Don Smith, director of Denver Law's Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Program, said, "Dr. Keske newest project demonstrates once again why we are thrilled to have her teach at DU. Her courses -- "Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment: Policy, Markets, and Economic Measurement" and "Public Utilities Regulation" -- are highly respected by our faculty and students. The courses contribute richness and breadth to our outstanding environmental and natural resources program, and we are delighted she is part of our program."

Public Utilities Regulation Intensive Course Includes Influential Lineup of Colorado Utilities Sector Leaders

Denver Law's one-week intensive short course, Public Utilities Regulation, which concluded last week, included some of the utilities sector's leading figures including the president of a major investor owned utility and a member of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.

The course provided students an exceptional chance to learn about recent innovations in the policy and economics of utility regulation while simultaneously providing the opportunity to listen to the sector's leaders talk about the challenges and opportunities they face.

Taught by Adjunct Professors Dr. Catherine Keske, Professor at Colorado State University, and Matt Futch, Senior Policy Manager and head of the Colorado Governor's Energy Office Utilities Program, Public Utilities Regulation was unique in introducing students to the philosophies and business practices of a wide range of industry leaders. Among the leaders who were part of the course were:

• Ken Anderson, President of Tri-State, a wholesale electric power supplier owned by the 44 electric cooperatives that it serves
• Matt Baker, Member of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission
• David Eves, President of Public Service Company of Colorado, a subsidiary of Xcel Energy
• Peter Fox-Penner, author of Smart Power and an internationally recognized leader in energy and the relationship of utility policy and economics
• Alice Maddon, Wirth Chair in Sustainable Development, School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver
• Allan Schurr, Vice President Strategy and Development, Global Energy and Utilities for IBM
• Max Tyler, State Representative and member of the Colorado General Assembly

Dr. Keske, one of the adjunct professors, said, "We were fortunate to bring together wonderful resources for our students. Our guest speakers shared both perspective and details about the present and future dynamics of the energy industry. Pooling the resources of DU Law, Colorado State University, and the Colorado Governor's Energy Office also proved to be a tremendous success. However, above all else, we were fortunate to have a group of engaged and intelligent students. I had a ball teaching this class!"

Don C. Smith, Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program, said, "There are few industries facing as many challenges as well as opportunities as the public utilities sector. These challenges and opportunities must take account of environmental, economic, and public policy factors. No where is this clearer than in the electricity generation and distribution business. This course provided students a unique, and indeed enormously valuable look at all of these factors.

"Hearing the wide range of guest speakers was particularly valuable to the students. In fact, the speakers, when considered together, probably represented the finest gathering of their type in an individual law school course anywhere in the country. This is exactly the type of learning experience that Denver Law is committed to bringing to our students."

Adjunct Professor Catherine Keske Involved in Major Environmental Quality Project in Mali, West Africa

Catherine M. Keske, Ph.D., an Adjunct Professor of Environmental & Resource Economics at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, recently returned from the Republic of Mali where she is the principal investigator on a project involving local leaders and aimed at enhancing enviromental quality in agricultural activities.

Professor Keske, who is an Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University, is leading a team of U.S. academics who are focusing on the impact of climate change on the livestock and agricultural sectors in the small west African nation.

Professor Keske's work is particulary important since much of Mali's economy is centered on agricultural production.

While in Mali, Professor Keske was interviewed on a national TV program. To see the interview please click here.

Don Smith, Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program at the Sturm College of Law, pointed to the importance of this project and the role Professor Keske is playing. "Catherine Keske's efforts in Mali are aimed at improving lives and the economy in a region that faces challenging days ahead, not least because of a rise in temperatures. I am confident that she brings the same passion to this effort that she displays in the courses she teaches at DU. Dr. Keske has a wonderful reputation among her students, and her courses are an important part of our broad and comprehensive course offerings."

Colorado Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) Ushers in the "New Energy Economy;" Matt Futch of GEO Speaks to DU Students About Ground Breaking Program

Recent ground breaking legislation positions Colorado as a national leader in energy policy reform.

Colorado House Bills 1365 and 1001 set aggressive goals for expanding renewable energy distribution and reducing greenhouse gases, while prioritizing economic growth linked to the energy sector.

Recently, Matt Futch, Utilities Program Manager at the Colorado Governor's Energy Office (GEO), delivered a webinar presentation to University of Denver Sturm College of Law students that focused on distributed energy in Colorado, as well as the recent energy legislation. Mr. Futch presented highlights of the recent legislation, including:

• Mandatory retirement of and pollution control systems on coal plants.
• Minimum of 30 percent of total electric sales from eligible renewable resources by 2020.
• Requirement that three percent of total energy must be obtained from distributed generation resources such as solar PV and small hydro systems.

In addition, Mr. Futch described the complexity behind Colorado’s electric power sector.

Mr. Futch’s presentation was arranged through the Law 4701 course, “Energy Policy and Economics,” which I teach. The webinar was open to all students and faculty, and those interested may access his presentation by clicking here.

Mr. Futch and the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office have played an active role with the College of Law. In addition to delivering periodic presentations and energy policy updates, the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office also hosts externships that are available through the College of Law Legal Externship Program.

DU is fortunate to host an engaging speaker like Mr. Futch, who is able to discuss these cutting edge energy issues. I highly recommend that those interested in energy policy take the time to review Mr. Futch’s presentation. The eyes of the nation are on Colorado to see how our new energy policy unfolds.

Ensuring stable energy prices is important to economic stability, since energy is used in virtually every production process. Innovative energy production also has the potential to jump start technological innovation and job growth. although these benefits may not be realized for quite some time.

Dr. Catherine Keske
Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Colorado State University
Adjunct Professor
Sturm College of Law

Editor's note: In photo above, Matt Futch is on far left; College of Law Professor K.K. DuVivier is second from left; students are on the far right.

Warp Speed Ahead! China’s New Economy and Implications for the Environment: Dr. Catherine Keske Reports From China

In 1994, the government owned virtually all of the cars in China. Latest figures show car ownership rates of approximately 10 people per 1,000.

Although this is far behind the U.S. car ownership rate of 700 per 1,000 people, should China reach similar levels, the number of cars in China would jump from approximately 1.3 million to 910 million! With a nation of 1.3 billion people, the environmental consequences would be tremendous. And this increase is well within the realm of possibility, considering that the ownership rate has increased at a rate of 25% per year during the past decade.

To put this into perspective, only 10% of the Chinese population experiences a similar lifestyle to the “typical” American. With its rapidly rising income and wealth, air pollution is only one potential environmental consequence as this nation ascends into the echelons of prosperity. And who are we, as citizens of one of the wealthiest nations in the world, to say that China is undeserving of a similar lifestyle?

From June 7 through June 22, I had the good fortune of visiting three large cities in China (Beijing, Shanghai, and Xiamen) to learn more about how China balances its economic growth with environmental and agricultural production targets. After delivering lectures at the China Agricultural University and attending several large conferences, I came away with the knowledge that China recognizes that environmental quality standards are important for long-term economic growth and prosperity in its nation.

However, right now, China is prioritizing economic growth and stability. At the top of this agenda is feeding 1.3 billion people, and ensuring that the nation can withstand worldwide shocks to the commodity markets. An example of the latter is the 2008 corn and energy price volatility that was created by the “perfect storm” of worldwide weather fluctuations, financial crisis, and an increased demand for biofuels. The result? Don’t look any time soon for China to implement rigorous environmental standards that rival those of Europe or the U.S.

This is a perfect example of an environmental Kuznet’s curve, in that environmental quality at first declines as a nation’s wealth increases. However, after a point, a nation’s environmental quality increases as the wealth of a nation increases. Furthermore, the case of China evokes intriguing questions about the extent to which wealthier nations are obligated to ensure that the citizens of the world enjoy a certain standard of living…not just for the sake of humanity, but for the sake of the environment.

-Catherine M.H. Keske, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor, Sturm College of Law

Assistant Professor, Colorado State University

Adjunct Professor and Environmental Economist Catherine Keske to Co-Author Energy Pricing Study for Colorado Governor's Energy Office

Dr. Catherine Keske, an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and an assistant professor of soil and crop sciences at Colorado State University, will co-author a major new study, Designing a Technology-Neutral Benefit-Pricing Policy for the Electric Power Sector in Colorado.

Dr. Keske, who teaches Environmental Economics and Energy, Economics and Policy at the College of Law, will be part of a team of researchers considering how concepts such as water consumption, climate change, and air pollution should be factored into the price of energy.

"We are at a crossroads with energy consumption, where environmental quality must also be factored in to have a sustainable economy," Dr. Keske told CSU Today. "As the human population grows, there is an increasing need for energy. We must ensure that energy is available to everyone while curtailing negative impacts to our environment."

To read the full story about the research project, please click here.

Environmental Economics Professor Catherine Keske Says Coloradans "Value Our Environment"

Natural resources economist Catherine Keske has made a career of studying the value to Coloradans of a clean environment.

Her conclusion is that regardless of the ups and downs of economic cycles, people who live here "value our recreation" and "value our environment," according to a recent front-page article in the Fort Collins Coloradan ("Environment Still a Priority," April 25, 2010).

Dr. Keske, who is an assistant professor at Colorado State University and an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, has also been featured on Colorado Public Radio (click here) where she talked about the relationship between spending and hiking Colorado's "fourteeners."

Students attending the Sturm College of Law benefit from Dr. Keske's insight into the role that economics plays in helping shape environmental policy. She teaches "Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment: Policy, Markets, and Economic Measurement," here at the law school, and in the fall semester of 2010 she will be teaching a new on-line offering entitled "Energy Economics and Policy."

Having experts such as Catherine Keske on the Sturm College of Law faculty make DU's environmental and natural resources offerings among the strongest in the world.

Local Land Conservancy Celebrates Latest Success; DU Environmental Law Professor Rock Pring Involved in Transaction

The Clear Creek Land Conservancy (CCLC) has acquired a conservation easement from Clear Creek County, Colorado, to a 74.42-acre parcel just west of Denver. What makes the transaction even more interesting is that one of the DU College of Law's most widely acclaimed and respected professors, George (Rock) Pring, played a major role in the transaction.

Prof. Pring, the vice president for land conservation for the CCLC and an environmental law professor at DU, made the announcement in a recent e-mail proclaiming, "Celebrate the New Years/Decade with the newest CCLC conservation easement!"

The property involved is referred to as the "Oxbow Property." It is located adjacent to highway U.S. 6 west of Denver at the confluence of the North and South Forks as you cross into Clear Creek County. According to Prof. Pring, "Just before you go to into Tunnel 5 [on U.S. 6], you can look left/upstream into the property...As you exit Tunnel 5 immediately look left/downstream for a view of the other end of the Oxbow Property."

Prof. Pring said, "The Oxbow Property includes 3/5 mile of river (fishing, rafting, kayaking), the old railroad bed (great future trail), lovely wooded areas, canyon wildlife, and towering cliffs (rock climbing)."

The CCLC has an ambitious agenda, including partnering with Clear Creek County on the development of its visionary "Clear Creek Greenway" stretching from the Jefferson County Open Space Greenway all the way west across the county to the Eisenhower Tunnel.

For two maps of the property click here and here.

Several other professors associated with the DU College of Law are actively involved in conservation easements including Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Prof. Fred Cheever and Adjunct Prof. Catherine Keske.

In spring 2010, the College of Law will offer a course entitled Land Conservation Transactions. It will be taught by Jessica Jay, a national expert in conservation easements.

If this is an area of interest to you, be sure and check out DU's offerings in this exciting and important area of law and policy.