Common Resources

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 […]

NRDC’s Clean Air Act GHG Plan

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has proposed the first comprehensive plan to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources under the Clean Air Act. The plan would have the EPA assign emission rate standards for existing coal and gas fired power plants. States could allow facilities to average their emissions rate. The emissions rate […]

Policy Outfit Threatens to Sue EPA, Seeking Aviation Cap-and-Trade

Can EPA set up a cap-and-trade system for the transportation sector? If so, can it be forced to do so?The Institute for Policy Integrity, an (excellent) policy research and advocacy outfit affiliated with NYU, today announced it plans to sue EPA, aiming to find out. This is a provocative and interesting move, but I doubt […]

Senate Stares Down Europe on Aviation Carbon

Early last Saturday morning, the U.S. Senate stepped squarely into the debate over global aviation emissions, unanimously passing a bill that would give the Secretary of Transportation the power to prohibit U.S. airlines from complying with a new European law that require all airlines flying to or from Europe to participate in the European cap-and-trade […]

Climate Policy under the Next President

Ezra Klein makes the interesting point that much of the biggest impact of an Obama reelection would not be new policy initiatives, but implementing policy that is already in the pipeline. The biggest example is health care - reelect the President, and it gets implemented. Elect Romney, and repeal becomes much more likely. Klein also […]

Standing and the Tailoring Rule

At the Volokh Conspiracy, Jonathan Adler posts a good discussion of the prospects of en banc review of the DC Circuit ruling earlier this year throwing out challenges to EPA’s program for regulating greenhouse gases. It’s good analysis and worth a read. On the substance, he’s skeptical that review would be granted, but he points […]

The CSAPR Ruling and the Future of Clean Air Act Regulation

Three quick thoughts after a closer read of last week’s DC Circuit ruling striking down EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). Fair warning: I get into wonky details of the Clean Air Act. If you’re looking for a broader take on the case, look here. This holding seems correct, but appeal is likely The majority […]