New Report on Electric Vehicle Policies & Capitol Hill Briefing Today at Noon ET (webcast available)
The environmental law centers at UCLA and UC Berkeley Schools of Law today released a new report on industry actions and federal, state, and local policies needed to stimulate long-term, mass adoption of electric vehicles. "Electric Drive by '25" (available from either UCLA Law or Berkeley Law) is the tenth report in our Climate Change and Business Research Initiative, funded by Bank of America. Please join me and my UC colleagues today, either in person or via webcas...
CONTINUE READINGAprès Mitt le Déluge?
When accepting the Republican nomination, Governor Romney treated us to a bit of humor about climate change. “President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet," he said, "My promise is to help you and your family.” No one doubts that families need help, but is the idea of sea level rise really that funny? The experts don't think so. Climate change will eat away at America's coastlines, drowning beaches and wetlands. It will al...
CONTINUE READINGAre PACE Financed Residential Energy Improvements Capitalized into Home Prices?
The FHFA believes that an unintended consequence of obtaining a PACE loan is to increase the risk of mortgage default. The FHFA's logic is that if the green investments are not capitalized into home prices then the home owner's equity decreases as equity = sales price - debt owed. Under these assumptions, the green investment doesn't raise the sales price but does increase the debt owed. My recent research convinces me that this pessimism is false. Here is M...
CONTINUE READINGMore Good News About Implementing AB32
Below I report a new announcement posted to the California Air Resources Board Webpage discussing how a small group of academic economists will be playing a new role in designing the AB32 Cap & Trade program. Here is the announcement. My bottom line is that ARB has hired a Dream Team. Forget Lebron James and Kevin Durant and Kobe, the set of four economists named Borenstein, Bushnell, Bailey and Wolak can really play! The public (and that includes everyone)...
CONTINUE READINGThe Mythical Threat of a Regulatory Deluge
Conservatives are now spreading the myth that, if the country fails to elect Mitt Romney, the aftermath will be a deluge of federal regulations. Republican state attorney generals are hitting the campaign trail to this fear of a coming regulatory flood in a post-Romney world. (here). This myth has been debunked by Cass Sunstein, who just stepped down as regulatory czar. Before he went to Washington, he dedicated much of his academic career to singing the praises of ...
CONTINUE READINGThe Top Ten Problems with Romney’s Energy Proposal
10.It is based on the most optimistic possible projections of expanded oil and gas production. 9. It relies primarily on job predictions in a Citigroup report that -- according to the report itself -- are “based on sweeping assumptions” and possibly “optimistic.” 8. It would put huge profits in the pockets of Romney’s oil company contributors. 7. It muddles accountability by giving states power over activities on federal lands while the federal governmen...
CONTINUE READINGThe D.C. Circuit’s Activist Ruling on Interstate Pollution
About ten days ago, the D.C. Circuit struck down EPA's effort to establish a cap-and-trade system for pollutants that cross state lines. Now that I've had a chance to read the lengthy opinion in EMR Homer City Generation v. EPA, I'm struck by the aggressiveness of the court's intervention, which goes well beyond the customary degree of judicial oversight over agencies. The court comes perilously close to writing the rule itself (not to mention rewriting the statute). So...
CONTINUE READINGParty Differences on Energy and Environment: A Side-by-Side Comparison
After I posted a description of the Republican platform, a reader suggested that a side-by-side comparison would be helpful when the Democratic Platform came out. Here it is, presented as objectively as I could. Subject Democratic Platform Republican Platform Regulatory reform Give president power to reorganize agencies. Congressional approval required for all major rules. Regulatory reform Review all existing regulations to determine which are outdated....
CONTINUE READINGA Capitol Hill Briefing on Electric Vehicle Policies, Monday, September 10th (Webcast Available)
Legal Planeteers in the Washington DC area are invited to join the environmental law centers at Berkeley and UCLA Schools of Law as we present a lunchtime, Capitol Hill discussion on policies necessary for long-term, mass adoption of electric vehicle technologies. This free event is sponsored by Congressman Henry Waxman's office and will also be available by webcast. The briefing will include a panel discussion with electric vehicle experts and industry representatives ...
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