
Biography
John M. DeCicco is a research professor emeritus retired from the University of Michigan Energy Institute. 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, Prof. 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 online credential offered by the University of Michigan. His Cars and Climate 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 twenty 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.
Prof. DeCicco’s Scopus page
News
- Trump’s Weaker Fuel Efficiency Rules May Lead to a Dead End 02/13/20
- As Trump Touts Ethanol, Scientists Question the Fuel’s Climate Claims 06/14/19
- Despite Industry Pleas, White House Halts Progress on Fuel Economy 06/13/19
- Cap-and-Trade For Cars Considered in Seven Northeast States 12/06/18
- Climate researchers: More green space, less biofuel 09/28/18
- Trump Moves to Ease Obama Auto-Mileage Rules, California’s Clout 08/02/18
- Trump Administration Unveils Its Plan to Relax Car Pollution Rules 08/02/18
- Oil Industry Is Big Winner As EPA Freezes Mileage Rules; EPA, California Prepare For Court Fight 08/02/18
- How Trump’s proposal to freeze gas mileage standards affects you 08/02/18
- Why Trump’s looser emission standards are mixed blessing for automakers 08/02/18
- 5 Things to Watch as the Trump Administration Weakens Car Rules 07/20/18
- How The Energy Industry’s Wish List Became The Interior Department’s To-Do List 04/16/18
- In His Haste to Roll Back Rules, Scott Pruitt, E.P.A. Chief, Risks His Agenda 04/07/18
- Energy in the News: Friday, June 22
- Energy in the News: Friday, June 8
- Energy in the News: May 25, 2018
- Energy in the News: Friday, May 11
- Energy in the News: Friday, May 4
- Energy in the News: Friday, April 27
- Energy in the News: Friday, April 20
- Energy in the News: Friday, April 13
- Energy in the News: Friday, April 6
- New U-M Energy Survey results: A rising belief that energy use affects global warming
- Energy in the News: Friday, February 23
- Energy in the News: Friday, December 8
- Energy in the News: Friday, December 1
- Energy in the News: Friday, November 10
- Energy in the News: Friday, October 27
- Energy in the News: Friday, September 22
- Energy in the News: Friday, September 15
- Energy Survey: A carbon tax would not cause too much grief at the gas pump
- Energy in the News: Friday, August 25
- Energy in the News: Friday, August 4
- Energy in the News: Friday, July 28
- Energy in the News: Friday, July 14
- Energy in the News: Friday, May 19
- Energy in the News: Friday, May 5
- Energy in the News: Friday, April 14
- Energy in the News: Friday, March 24
- John DeCicco for Yale Environment 360: The ‘Job-Killing’ Fiction Behind Trump’s Retreat on Fuel Economy Standards
- Energy in the News: Friday, March 17
- Energy in the News: Friday, February 10
- Energy in the News: Friday, February 3
- Energy in the News: Friday, January 27
- Energy in the News: Friday, December 2
- Energy in the News: Friday, November 18
- Energy in the News: Friday, November 4
- Energy in the News: Friday, October 28
- Energy in the News: Friday, October 21
- Energy in the News: Friday, October 7
- The Conversation: Biofuels turn out to be a climate mistake – here’s why
- Energy in the News: Friday, September 30
- Energy in the News: Friday, September 23
- John DeCicco’s biofuels research sparks national conversation
- Energy in the News: Friday, September 2
- Energy in the News: Friday, August 26
- Study: Biofuels increase, rather than decrease, heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions
- Energy in the News: Friday, August 12
- Michigan Scientists See Urgency for Negative Emissions
- Energy in the News: Friday, July 29
- How affordable is our energy? Here’s what consumers say as of April 2016
- Featuring John DeCicco: As Corn Devours U.S. Prairies, Greens Reconsider Biofuel Mandate
- Energy in the News: Friday, July 15
- Energy in the News: Friday, July 1
- Energy in the News: Friday, June 24
- Energy in the News: Friday, June 17
- Energy in the News: Friday, May 27
- Energy in the News: Friday, May 20
- Energy Survey: How affordable is our energy? Here’s what consumers say as of January 2016
- Energy in the News: Friday, March 18
- The Conversation: Will cheap gas at the pump stall progress on car emissions?
- Read and view John DeCicco’s March 16 House testimony on Renewable Fuel Standards
- Energy Survey: How affordable is our energy? Here’s what consumers say as of October 2015
- Energy in the News: Friday, February 12
- Energy in the News: Friday, January 15
- Even with falling prices at the pump, consumers find home energy more affordable than gasoline
- Energy in the News: Friday, December 11
- How much of an increase in home energy and gasoline costs do people think they can afford?
- Op-Ed: The truth about biofuels: Reality bites
- Energy in the News: Friday, December 4
- Energy in the News: Friday, November 20
- Energy in the news: Friday, November 13
- Energy in the news: Friday, November 6
- John DeCicco testifies before House Science, Space and Technology Committee
- Energy Institute’s John DeCicco featured in Automotive News VW story
- Energy in the news: Friday: September 25
- What if gasoline became unaffordable? Americans say they are most likely to use different transportation
- Energy in the news: Friday, August 21
- John DeCicco: Bringing biofuels back to earth
- DeCicco featured in Marketplace Morning Report
- John DeCicco talks connected vehicles for WEMU’s Green Room
- Energy in the news: Friday, June 12
- Energy Survey: When gasoline prices fell, most consumers did not change their minds about how much they felt they could pay
- Environment pulls ahead of affordability as Americans’ top energy-related concern
- The flaws behind policies to promote low-carbon fuels
- U-M survey reveals how personal concerns, income shape consumer attitudes about energy
- What’s Next for the Automobile
- Renewable Fuels Fallacy
- Should you buy an electric car? DeCicco featured in WSJ article
- What do lower oil prices mean for Washington?
- Consumers worry about energy’s impact on environment regardless of income
- U-M survey finds surprising attitudes toward energy costs, environmental impact
- What the new emissions standards will mean to automakers: Technology Review
- Why driverless cars won’t save the environment: ReadWriteDrive
- Renewable fuels: due for a reality check: The Hill
- Does pushing alternative fuels make for sound policy? Yale e360
- Energy in the News: Friday, August 10
- Energy in the News: Friday, August 3
- Cars could get 74 MPG by 2035: The New York Times
- Energy in the News: Friday, July 27
- Energy in the News: Friday, August 31
- Energy in the News: Friday, September 28
- Energy in the News: Friday, October 5
- Energy in the News: Friday, November 16
- Energy in the News: Friday, December 7
- Energy in the News: Friday, February 1
- Energy in the News for Friday, March 1
- Energy in the News: Friday, June 14