Common Resources

Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Analysis Deconstructed: Changing Assumptions, Changing Results

EPA regulations on mercury and other air pollutants currently under review are the subject of much debate for their potential costs and impacts on the electricity industry. In a new discussion paper, RFF colleagues and I examine the assumptions behind several studies that have analyzed the potential effects of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, [...]

Thinking Like an Economist within the Complex Climate Policy Regime

Building on recent work that highlights the need to account for institutions in crafting economic solutions to environmental problems, Matt Woerman and I look specifically to the implementation of climate policy—and how incentive-based thinking can help. Read more here.

EPA and Global Carbon: Can You Have it Both Ways?

This is the final post in a debate between RFF and Institute for Policy Integrity scholars over the best tools for EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act. See Nathan Richardson’s critique of Policy Integrity’s recent petition to EPA and Policy Integrity’s response. This debate has been about where we disagree – we have real differences over [...]

EPA and Global Carbon: Hiding in Plain Sight

This is the third post in a debate between RFF and Institute for Policy Integrity scholars over the best tools for EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act. See Nathan Richardson’s critique of Policy Integrity’s recent petition to EPA. As Nathan Richardson rightly notes, debate over the best legal tools to craft climate [...]

EPA and Global Carbon: Unnecessary Risk

This is the second post in a debate between RFF and Institute for Policy Integrity scholars over the best tools for EPA carbon regulation under the Clean Air Act. See the opening salvo from Jason Schwartz, and in particular Policy Integrity’s recent petition to the EPA. -ed Jason Schwartz and Michael Livermore at Policy Integrity are [...]

EPA and Global Carbon: A Debate

This is a guest post by legal scholar Jason Schwartz, of the Institute for Policy Integrity at NYU. It opens an exchange between Policy Integrity and RFF scholars discussing legal and policy aspects of greenhouse gas regulation under the Clean Air Act.  -ed In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama promised that [...]

U.S. Emissions Trends: Optimism, Pessimism, and One Big Decision

This week, the World Resources Institute released a report addressing U.S. progress on reducing GHG emissions to date, and the prospects for further progress without new legislation putting a price on carbon. The tone of the report is cautionary – it claims that ambitious “go-getter” policies are required to achieve the President’s Copenhagen target of [...]

Climate in the Second Inaugural: Signal and Substance

In President Obama’s second inaugural address he singled out climate change as a policy priority, which would be an unusual step in any inaugural address. Over the last decade presidents have mentioned wounded travelers, deepest beliefs and lofty goals; but not specific policy priorities. For instance, the extent of President Obama’s statement about health care [...]

States Push EPA to Regulate Methane from Oil & Gas Operations

New York and six other eastern states announced this week that they intend to sue the EPA, seeking to force the agency to regulate methane emissions from oil and natural gas operations. Specifically, they claim EPA is required by the Clean Air Act to issue new source performance standards (NSPS) for methane emissions from wells, [...]

NRDC’s EPA/GHG Proposal is Impressive. But Tough Legal Battles Are Likely

EPA (in cooperation with states) has extensive Clean Air Act authority to regulate GHG emissions from the large installed base of existing fossil-fuel power plants. Over the past few years, it has sent contradictory signals about how and even whether it intends to use this authority. At RFF, we’ve written about what EPA can do to [...]