Steven Letendre Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Management and Environmental Studies

Terrace Hall 130
One College Circle
Poultney, VT 05764-1199
Email Address: letendres@greenmtn.edu
802-287-8303; Fax: 802-287-8099

"Green Mountain College offers me an exciting and challenging work environment. GMC's mission to provide students with a liberal arts education using the environment as a unifying theme attracted me to GMC. It is critical that the next generation of leaders fully understand the environmental challenges society faces, and appreciate the many opportunities that exist to bring about a sustainable future."

Dr. Letendre is an Associate Professor of Management and Environmental Studies. His research involves the economic analysis of emerging environmental technologies and the development of policies and regulations to promote a sustainable energy future. Dr. Letendres has been researching and writing in the areas of sustainable energy and alternative transportation for over ten years. Dr. Letendre has been involved with a small group of researchers investigating the technical requirements and benefits of integrating battery and hybrid electric vehicles with the utility grid, referred to as vehicle to grid (V2G). A large study of the V2G potential in California was funded by the California Air Resources Board-the California government agency responsible for air quality issues. In addition, Dr. Letendre has collaborated with colleagues from the State University of New York's Atmospheric Research Center and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory to investigate the value of solar energy in various niche markets. Dr. Letendre is also interested in the role of the non-profit sector in promoting sustainable energy. He sits on the board of SolarFest (www.solarfest.com), a small, local nonprofit providing energy education through the performing arts. He also is an active member of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, the American Solar Energy Society, and Renewable Energy Vermont.

Education
1997 Ph.D. in Energy and Environmental Policy, University of Delaware, Newark. Dissertation Title: "Photovoltaic Technology for Sustainability: An Investigation of the Distributed Utility Concept as a Policy Framework"
1991 M.A. in Economics, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY
1989 B.S. in Business Administration, Bryant College, Smithfield, RI

Teaching and Mentoring
Environmental Studies Courses
Introduction to Economic Design and Economics
Sustainable Development: Theory and Policy
Economics of the Environment
Special Topics on Energy and the Environment
Business and Economics Courses
Macroeconomics
Small Business Entrepreneurship
Advanced Quantitative Methods
Corporate Environmental Management
Environmental Liberal Arts Courses
A Delicate Balance
Economy and Society
Independent Studies Supervised
Integral Theory Applied to Sustainable Devlopment, Spring 2005
Final Project for self-design major in Renewable Engery Applications, Fall 2004
Writing a Children’s Book on Global Climate Change, Spring 2003
Bringing Wind Power to Green Mountain College, Fall 2002 and Spring 2003
Campus Ecology: Measuring Resource Use at Green Mountain College, Spring 2003

Research Interests
Solar electricity's (photovoltaics) value as a distributed energy resource
Vehicle-to-grid power: concept development and economic and regulatory assessment
Policy and regulatory frameworks to promote sustainable energy technologies
Ecological design as applied to power and transportation systems
Education for and the role of non-profits in promoting sustainable development

Publications

Journal Articles:
Perez, R., Collins, B., Margolis, R., Hoff, T., Herig, C, Williams, J., and Letendre, S. (2005). Summer Blackouts? How dispersed solar power-generating systems can help prevent the next major outage. Solar Today, 19, 32-35.

Letendre, S., & Kempton, W. (2002). V2G: a new model for power. Public Utilities Fortnightly, 140, 16-26.

Kempton, W., & Letendre, S. (1997). Electric vehicles as a new power source for electric utilities. Transportation Research-D, 2, 157-175.

Byrne, J., Letendre, S., Wang, Y., Govindarajalu, C., & Nigro, R. (1996). Evaluating the economics of photovoltaics in a demand-side management role. Energy Policy, 24, 177-185.

Byrne, J., Letendre, S., Wang, Y., Govindarajalu, C., & Nigro, R. (1995). Photovoltaics: a dispatchable peak-shaving option. Public Utilities Fortnightly, 133.

Letendre, S. (1994). Incorporating environmental externalities into electricity markets: methods and policies. Bulletin of Science, Technology, & Society, 14, 256-261.

Additional Published Articles:
Letendre, S. (2004). PV integrated electric drive transit buses: Toward a sustainable urban transit system. Proceedings of the 2004 International Solar Cities Congress, Daegu, Korea.

Letendre, S., Perez, R., & Herig, C. (2003). Vehicle integrated PV: a clean and secure fuel for hybrid electric vehicles. Proceedings of the 2003 American Solar Energy Society Annual Conference, Boulder, CO.

Letendre, S., Perez, R., & Herig, C. (2003). Solar and power markets: peak power prices and PV availability for the summer of 2002. Proceedings of the 2003 American Solar Energy Society Annual Conference, Boulder, CO.

Letendre, S., Perez, R., & Herig, C. (2002). Battery-powered, electric-drive vehicles providing buffer storage for PV capacity value. Proceedings of the 2002 American Solar Energy Society Annual Conference, Boulder, CO.

Kempton, W., Jasna T., Letendre, S., Brooks, A., & Lipman, T. (2001). Electric drive vehicles-battery, hybrid, and fuel cell-as resources for distributed electric power in California, University of California Davis, ITS-RR-01-03.

Letendre, S., Perez, R., & Herig, C. (2001). An assessment of photovoltaic energy availability during periods of peak power prices. Proceedings of the 2001 American Solar Energy Society Annual Conference, Boulder, CO.

Perez, R., Letendre, S., & Herig, C. (2001). PV and grid reliability: availability of PV power during capacity shortfalls. Proceedings of the 2001 American Solar Energy Society Annual Conference, Boulder, CO.

Letendre, S. (2001) Biopower's potential. Northeast Sun, 19, 11-13.

Letendre, S. (2000) Electric utility deregulation comes to the northeast. Northeast Sun, 18, 8-11.

Letendre, S. (2000) SolarFest: energy education through the arts. Proceedings of the 2000 American Solar Energy Society Annual Conference, Boulder, CO.

Activities and Awards
University of Delaware's Institute of Energy Conversion 1997 Bill N. Baron Award for outstanding contribution to photovoltaic research and development.
Milton and Mary Edelstein Prize for Community and Public Service, 1995.
Member, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and American Solar Energy Society.
President, Urban Affairs Student Association, University of Delaware.
Ph.D. Representative, Urban Affairs Student Association, University of Delaware.
Tuition Scholarship Award, State University of New York at Binghalegemton, 1991.
Mountain biking, snow boarding, skiing, hiking, and backpacking.