Public Opinion and Energy Politics
Pew published some intriguing polling results on energy issues just before Christmas. Americans have clearly noticed falling prices at the gas pump, but only half realize that U.S. oil and gas production has soared. So far, the changes haven't affected policy views: a large majority favors expanding use of alternative energy, but solid majorities continue to favor the Keystone pipeline and expanding drilling on federal lands and offshore. (I suspect, however, that th...
CONTINUE READINGIs EPA Delaying Clean Power Plan Rule to Modify the Proposed Rule for New Power Plants?
EPA announced this week that it will delay issuing both its final Clean Power Plan for greenhouse gases emitted from existing power plants as well as proposed rules for new coal and natural gas fired plants. The agency said it needs the extra time to respond to the 4 million comments it received and to coordinate "a suite of rules that takes into account any and all of these cross-cutting issues." Observers have speculated that one reason for the delay is to prevent...
CONTINUE READINGCalifornia Finally Breaks Ground On High Speed Rail Today
Six years and many lawsuits and political compromises after voters approved it
It's been over six years since California voters approved a bond measure to fund a two-hour-and-forty-minute Los Angeles to San Francisco high speed rail system. Today groundbreaking finally takes place in Fresno. In the intervening six years, lawsuits and political compromises have delayed the system and likely made the timetables promised to voters impossible to achieve. And even if all goes well, the system won't fully connect Los Angeles to San Francisco until 2028, ...
CONTINUE READINGGovernor Brown Calls For California To Achieve 50% Renewables By 2030
Inaugural address has specifics for climate and energy policies
Jerry Brown was inaugurated today for his record fourth term as governor of California, and his address offered refreshing specifics on his environmental and climate goals: In fact, we are well on our way to meeting our AB 32 goal of reducing carbon pollution and limiting the emissions of heat-trapping gases to 431 million tons by 2020. But now, it is time to establish our next set of objectives for 2030 and beyond. Toward that end, I propose three ambitious goals to...
CONTINUE READINGThe (Mostly Happy) Effects of Falling Oil Prices
The rapid fall in oil prices seems to have taken everyone by surprise. I've noted before that it puts the viability of the Keystone XL project in doubt. But its other effects are worth considering. Overall, the fall in prices should have a beneficial effect on the U.S. economy. Since gasoline is cheaper, people can buy the gas they need and have money left over to increase spending on other things, as if they had gotten a tax cut. The flip side is that produce...
CONTINUE READING2014: Happy Endings & Promising Starts
In most ways, 2014 was a good year for environmental protection, with progress on several fronts. True, there are warning signs for 2015 -- primarily the Republican sweep of the mid-terms and the Supreme Court's puzzling decision to review toxics regulations for coal-fired power plants. And of course, there were losses as well as victories, or partial victories where there might have been greater successes. But overall, developments were very positive. Here are ten...
CONTINUE READINGThe GOP’s Puzzling Obsession with Keystone XL: A Case of Perseveration?
Republicans remain focused on a project that no longer makes much sense.
Perseveration is a psychological syndrome where you can't stop doing something even if the original reason for doing it has vanished. I'm beginning to wonder if the continuing fervor of Republican support for the project reflects an institutional equivalent of this syndrome. The economic and political case for the project is fading, but Republicans just can't seem to let go. Admittedly, if you put aside the environmental issues, the project was appealing when oil...
CONTINUE READINGEPA Waters Down Final Rule for Coal Ash
EPA will improve new disposal sites for coal ash, but will have limited effect on old ones.
Exactly six years ago today, a dike ruptured near Kingston, Tennessee, dumping into the Clinch River some 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash slurry -- or to use the more technical term, coal combustion residue. Last Friday, EPA issued a new regulation to deal with the issue. The rule is intended to protect groundwater from leaching from the ponds, prevent future spills, and encourage recycling of coal ash (for instance, as an ingredient in bricks). It strongly discou...
CONTINUE READINGAn Administrative Overreach?
The White House has proposed new guidelines on how to treat greenhouse gas emissions in environmental impact statements. Basically, the document recommends a quantitative analysis of carbon emissions whenever emissions exceed 25,000 tons per year. The proposal goes beyond a previous one in targeting resource projects such as coal mines as well as direct emissions. Last year, 33 Republican Senators released a letter warning against this step, arguing that it expan...
CONTINUE READINGCan We Control Climate Change and Still Have Economic Growth? (Part II)
It's all in the timing.
Yesterday's post discussed economic growth and how it relates in principle to carbon emissions. Basically, economic growth just means that people will be getting goods and services they prefer over today's goods and service. There's no intrinsic reason why the "better" bundle necessarily has to involve more carbon. In fact, it could involve a lot less carbon. But getting there requires either reducing the carbon intensity of energy production, the energy intens...
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