Economic Impacts of Wave Energy to Oregon's Economy: A report to Oregon Wave Energy Trust: Final report

This study was commissioned by OWET to determine the possible economic benefits to Oregon and Oregon’s coastal communities from having a thriving wave energy industry. While wave energy industry growth will proceed along a continuous path, this study examines the economic impacts at three distinct stages: Research and Development Stage; Commercial Stage; Industrial Stage. The IMPLAN input-output model was used to estimate the economic impacts of the construction and operations phases for each stage. Additionally, the potential economic impacts in each stage were estimated for Oregon’s coastal economy (defined as Lincoln, Douglas, and Coos counties). We also examine economic impacts for the entire state of Oregon, as some services (e.g., engineering, legal, manufacturing) will be provided from non-coastal communities. An additional component of this analysis describes the economic contribution of coastal fisheries to Oregon, as the fishing industry could potentially be affected by wave energy farms. We summarized the results of existing economic studies of Oregon’s fishing industry. We did not attempt to predict how wave energy could impact the coastal fishing industry, as additional research is needed to determine the type and magnitude of possible impacts. Instead, by presenting the economic impacts of the fishing industry and the wave energy industry together, we lay the groundwork and provide context for future research on this topic. In the process of developing this report, ECONorthwest reached out to a wide range of stakeholders and market actors involved with wave energy and related industries

Public Benefits of Undeveloped Lands on Urban Outskirts: Non-Market Valuation Studies and their Role in Land Use Plans

Over the past three decades, the economics profession has developed methods for estimating the public benefits of green spaces, providing an opportunity to incorporate such information into land-use planning. While federal regulations routinely require such estimates for major regulations, the extent to which they are used in local land use plans is not clear. This paper reviews the literature on public values for lands on urban outskirts, not just to survey their methods or empirical findings, but to evaluate the role they have played--or have the potential to play-- in actual land use plans. Based on interviews with authors and representatives of funding agencies and local land trusts, it appears that academic work has had a mixed reception in the policy world. Reasons for this include a lack of interest in making academic work accessible to policy makers, emphasizing revealed preference methods which are inconsistent with policy priorities related to nonuse values, and emphasis on benefit-cost analyses. Nevertheless, there are examples of success stories that illustrate how such information can play a vital role in the design of conservation policies. Working Paper 07-2

Economic-Impact-Analysis-of-Wave-Energy-Phase-One-Version 1.pdf

This study was commissioned by OWET to determine the possible economic benefits to Oregon and Oregon’s coastal communities from having a thriving wave energy industry. While wave energy industry growth will proceed along a continuous path, this study examines the economic impacts at three distinct stages: Research and Development Stage; Commercial Stage; Industrial Stage. The IMPLAN input-output model was used to estimate the economic impacts of the construction and operations phases for each stage. Additionally, the potential economic impacts in each stage were estimated for Oregon’s coastal economy (defined as Lincoln, Douglas, and Coos counties). We also examine economic impacts for the entire state of Oregon, as some services (e.g., engineering, legal, manufacturing) will be provided from non-coastal communities. An additional component of this analysis describes the economic contribution of coastal fisheries to Oregon, as the fishing industry could potentially be affected by wave energy farms. We summarized the results of existing economic studies of Oregon’s fishing industry. We did not attempt to predict how wave energy could impact the coastal fishing industry, as additional research is needed to determine the type and magnitude of possible impacts. Instead, by presenting the economic impacts of the fishing industry and the wave energy industry together, we lay the groundwork and provide context for future research on this topic. In the process of developing this report, ECONorthwest reached out to a wide range of stakeholders and market actors involved with wave energy and related industries

Willamette Valley Summary Report

The Willamette Valley Alternative Futures project attempts to describe future development patterns in the Willamette Valley, and their impacts on farm and forest production, and on the costs of public services

Economic-Impact-Analysis-of-Wave-Energy-Phase-One—Version 2.pdf

This study was commissioned by OWET to determine the possible economic benefits to Oregon and Oregon’s coastal communities from having a thriving wave energy industry. While wave energy industry growth will proceed along a continuous path, this study examines the economic impacts at three distinct stages: Research and Development Stage; Commercial Stage; Industrial Stage. The IMPLAN input-output model was used to estimate the economic impacts of the construction and operations phases for each stage. Additionally, the potential economic impacts in each stage were estimated for Oregon’s coastal economy (defined as Lincoln, Douglas, and Coos counties). We also examine economic impacts for the entire state of Oregon, as some services (e.g., engineering, legal, manufacturing) will be provided from non-coastal communities. An additional component of this analysis describes the economic contribution of coastal fisheries to Oregon, as the fishing industry could potentially be affected by wave energy farms. We summarized the results of existing economic studies of Oregon’s fishing industry. We did not attempt to predict how wave energy could impact the coastal fishing industry, as additional research is needed to determine the type and magnitude of possible impacts. Instead, by presenting the economic impacts of the fishing industry and the wave energy industry together, we lay the groundwork and provide context for future research on this topic. In the process of developing this report, ECONorthwest reached out to a wide range of stakeholders and market actors involved with wave energy and related industries

Estimating the Benefits and Costs of Public Transit Projects: A Guidebook for Practitioners

This report provides a valuable resource for people who have the difficult and often cumbersome responsibility of analyzing the benefits and costs of public transportation services and presenting the results of these analyses to decisionmakers, the media, and the public. The report will be of particular interest to individuals who plan and evaluate the benefits and costs of new investments in public transportation. Other audiences for this report include policymakers, transportation activists, other transportation professionals, and students in related fields. The guidebook is divided into five sections. Section I explains how to use the guidebook and provides an overview of benefit-cost evaluation concepts and their application to transit projects. Section II addresses the basic benefits and costs of transit projects, including impacts on travel, secondary impacts on the environment and safety, and the direct costs and revenues of transit projects. Section III discusses other benefits and costs of transit projects, including impacts on land use and land development, economic impacts, and the distribution of impacts. Section IV provides an example with sample analyses. Section V consists of four appendices that provide a bibliography, integrated models for conducting comprehensive benefit-cost analysis, sample calculations, and conversion factors for calculating constant dollars