New rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce mercury and other toxic air emissions will affect dozens of antiquated power plants currently operating without pollution controls. These
rules have stirred debate in some circles as to whether retrofitting or retiring outdated plants will cause shortfalls in electricity capacity. How will EPA mercury rules influence the electricity system? This fact sheet updates earlier assessments by taking a close look at recent studies on the reliability of the electricity grid to answer that question.
This brief describes a number of policy tools that can be employed to drive investment in renewable energy technologies and discusses which policy options may be the best fit based on the commercial maturity of a targeted technology.
WRI works to inform Congress about the opportunities and impacts of legislative proposals that affect U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and to help shape federal policies that will lead the U.S. on a path of low-carbon growth.
In two legal challenges filed in the wake of the Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, a number of states and non-governmental organizations sought to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate new and existing power plants under section 111 of the Clean Air Act.
WRI experts take closer look at some of the myths, inaccuracies, and misinformation surrounding Environmental Protection Agency regulation of greenhouse gases.
In February 9th testimony before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Dr. Margo Thorning of the American Council for Capital Formation presented on the economic implications of EPA regulation on greenhouse gases. Following the hearing, analysts from WRI and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy issued the following statement in response to Dr. Thorning’s testimony. WRI’s response highlights questionable assumptions in Dr. Thorning’s modeling and outlines the benefits of industrial sector energy efficiency improvements.
Franz Litz, Nicholas Bianco, Michael B. Gerrard (Center for Climate Change Law
at the Columbia University Law School), and Gregory E. Wannier (Center for Climate Change Law
at the Columbia University Law School)
Working Paper: February, 2011
This working paper explores how states and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and industrial facilities using the standards
of performance under section 111 of the Clean Air Act.
If passed, the American Power Act (APA) would require companies to hold permits to emit GHGs for all emissions from
facilities emitting more than 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) or equivalent gre
WRI and Standard & Poor’s were unable to conduct a full assessment of credit quality per subsector
under EPA regulation because of limited information on the EPA’s anticipated regulatory approach
The criteria for determining free allowances may change in future climate policy proposals, including the possibility of not distributing any free allowances to industry.
