The Ohio State University

High rises made out of wood? What matters in whether ‘mass timber’ buildings are sustainable

Have a look at this piece published in the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/high-rises-made-out-of-wood-what-matters-in-whether-mass-timber-buildings-are-sustainable-240416 High rises made out of wood? What matters in whether ‘mass timber’ buildings are sustainable by Brent Sohngen A material that’s been around since people built shelters – wood…

Why are nature-based carbon offset prices so low?

By Brent Sohngen (sohngen.1@osu.edu)   For nearly 25 years, carbon offsets in agriculture and forestry have been the next big thing – a market with huge potential to increase revenue for farming with certain practices like conservation or no till,…

Tax revenues or PILOT II

Tax revenues or PILOT II

Posted by Brent Sohngen Please feel free to email with any questions: sohngen.1@osu.edu The upshot of this post (to see the last post referred to below, go here) You can’t compare two financial analyses that use fundamentally different input data….

The Economics of Solar Development in Ohio

By Grayson Penland and Brent Sohngen This report examines a number of economic aspects of solar development in Ohio. Here is a summary of the findings. A PDF of the report can be downloaded here. Solar energy constitutes about 1.4%…

Real Property Tax Versus PILOT for Solar?

Real Property Tax Versus PILOT for Solar?

by Brent Sohngen, AED Economics (Sohngen.1@osu.edu)   Amid the debate about installing solar power on farmland in the state lies a discussion about how to evaluate the approach any county takes when taxing solar fields. It is well known that…

Oil and Natural Gas Market Assessment and Outlook

Oil and Natural Gas Market Assessment and Outlook

This assessment and outlook for oil and natural gas markets was written by Paige Lampman (lampman.11@osu.edu).   The key word in energy for 2022 is uncertainty, which has been growing throughout the year so far. And unfortunately for consumers, uncertainty…

Biomass Energy from Forests Can Be Sustainable and Carbon Neutral

by Brent Sohngen (sohngen.1@osu.edu) Originally published by Inside Sources The issue of carbon neutrality for wood-based bioenergy just won’t go away. In recent months, Politico, The New York Times and CNN all have run high level stories that take the…

What’s going on with Lumber Prices?

Brent Sohngen, Professor Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. In case you haven’t noticed, lumber prices have increased a lot over the last year.  Based on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Lumber Price Index, which you can find here, lumber…

Carbon in soils and trees: What should farmers and society worry about?

Carbon in soils and trees: What should farmers and society worry about?            Brent Sohngen, Professor of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, Ohio State University As the US re-enters the Paris Agreement and companies all over the world work to become…