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Hodjat Ghadimi
Associate Professor
School of Design & Community Development
Davis College
WVU Home

Energy Rich Regions (ERRs)

An Energy Rich Region (ERR) can be thought of as a type of homogeneous natural resource region located geographically in an administratively defined area containing large endowments of energy reserves. Typically, when referring to ERRs, we are looking at the exhaustible energy resources such as oil, natural gas, and coal. ERRs have diverse climates and are located across the globe. They fall within a wide spectrum of economic systems, from command to market economies, and their reserve size varies as well as levels of dependence on resource revenues. The base spatial unit of analysis for an ERR could be a state or province within a country but at a larger scale—and depending on the focus of the study—an ERR can cross the borders of two or more countries or continents. The most important development challenge for ERRs is to convert their valuable but exhaustible natural capital into reproducible capital in pursuit of sustainable economic development that is also environmentally sustainable. Why do some ERRs fail to become sustaining and prosperous economies? How can we learn from such development patterns to better enable a transition to a future that is more prosperous for these ERRs?

Knowledge Base (KB)

The ERR Knowledge Base (KB) is a comprehensive compilation of spatial & non-spatial data and information on Energy Rich Regions. The knowledge base is organized in such a way as to provide an overall snapshot of wealth in these regions as embodied by three major capital forms – natural, physical, and human. This KB uses “Megaprojects” and “Giant Gas & Oil Field” databases in addition to other complimentary information and can be used to derive stylized facts and patterns of development in ERRs, and lay the foundation for further quantitative and qualitative analyses.

Current Research:

  • The Technology, Energy, Economy, and Environment (TEEE) Chain: Integrated Modeling for Technology Transition in Energy Rich Regions
  • Measuring the Wealth of Regions: Geospatial Approaches to Capital Estimation and Valuation in Energy Rich Regions
  • The Boom & Bust Patterns of Communities within the ERR of West Virginia: A Case Study of Moundsville

Other Resources: