The Climate Change Policy Partnership will pool expertise from the university and the company, along with other corporate and academic partners in the southeast, said Richard H. Brodhead, Duke University president.

Researchers will assess environmental and economic costs of possible federal policies for reducing greenhouse gases. The policies include cap-and-trade programs and a nationwide tax on the carbon content of fossil fuels. They also will look at the potential of carbon sequestration.

"We are eager for other partners to join us in this endeavor, particularly those involved in agriculture, forest products, energy and transportation," said Richard J. Osborne, group vice president of public and regulatory policy at Duke Energy. "A viable policy to address global climate change must encourage reduced carbon emissions from all sources and segments of our economy, not just a few."