John DeCicco

John M. DeCicco is a research professor emeritus retired from the University of Michigan. His work addresses global energy and environmental challenges through an interdisciplinary approach, anchored in physical science, while drawing insights from economics, other social sciences and public policy.

As a nationally recognized leader on energy issues, Professor DeCicco’s research has focused on transportation sector energy use and CO2 emissions, including vehicle efficiency, petroleum use, biofuels, electrification and consumer issues, as well as the role of atmospheric CO2 removal in offsetting the CO2 released from the combustion of liquid fuels. His past studies were influential in the development of automotive fuel economy and GHG emissions standards, and his recent work addresses methodological challenges related to biofuels and atmospheric CO2 levels.

He remains active in research and also teaches the “Mobility and the Environment” module for the Foundations of Mobility(link is external) online credential offered by U-M. His Cars and Climate(link is external) website includes brief summaries of his work and perspectives on the issue.

Over the years, he has analyzed many other energy and environmental topics, including energy use in buildings, energy-related consumer behavior and the impacts of electricity generation. He directed the University of Michigan Energy Survey from Fall 2013 through Winter 2019; co-chaired the university’s conference on Transportation, Economics, Energy and the Environment (TE3) from 2014 through 2019; and serves as a lecturer and speaker for both academic and general audiences.

Before returning to academia in 2009, he spent over 20 years working on energy and environmental policy at nonprofit organizations, including positions as a senior fellow at the Environmental Defense Fund, transportation director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and staff scientist at the National Audubon Society. He has testified numerous times before Congress and has more than 200 published papers, articles, reports and formal public policy submissions to his credit. He holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Princeton University.

RECENT NEWS

• There’s One Big Problem With Electric Cars(link is external). The New York Times, Feb. 18, 2021

• Biden’s Auto Dilemma: How Hard to Push for Electric Cars?(link is external) Los Angeles Times, Feb. 8, 2021

• Want Greener Cars? Focus on Fuel Efficiency(link is external). Scientific American, Jan. 30, 2021

• Who Will Own the Cars That Drive Themselves?(link is external) The New York Times, May 29, 2020

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

• Knapp, L., E. O’Shaughnessy, J. Heeter, S. Mills and J.M. DeCicco. 2020. Will consumers really pay for green electricity? Comparing stated and revealed preferences for residential programs in the United States.  Energy Research & Social Science  65: 101457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101457(link is external)

• Kelley, S.B., B.W. Lane and J.M. DeCicco. 2019. Pumping the brakes on robot cars: Current urban traveler willingness to consider driverless vehicles. Sustainability 11(18): 5042. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11185042(link is external)

• DeCicco, J.M., and W.H. Schlesinger. 2018. Reconsidering bioenergy given the urgency of climate protection. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 115(39): 9642-45.  http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1814120115(link is external)

• DeCicco, J.M. 2018. Methodological issues regarding biofuels and carbon uptake. Sustainability 10(5; May): 1581.  http://doi.org/10.3390/su10051581