Project Updates – Energy and Environment

  • Thursday
    May 10th,
    2012

    President Obama Signs New Executive Order

    President Obama signed off today on a new Executive Order aimed at identifying and reducing regulatory burdens. It calls upon agencies to evaluate the effectives of old rules and issue reports on their progress.

    The new order expands upon the provisions of Executive Order 13563 that required retrospective review plans from agencies to “determine whether any such regulations should be modified, streamlined, expanded, or repealed.” Additional emphasis is placed on prioritizing “significant quantifiable monetary savings or significant quantifiable reductions in paperwork burdens.”

    This is unfortunate considering that plans submitted by agencies in compliance with the last Executive order already focused almost exclusively on paperwork reduction and axing outdated rules. We encourage a more balanced approach that gives equal attention to extending protections where needed and cutting unnecessary rules. Incorporating such a system of review would go a long way towards fulfilling the full potential of the executive order.

    Issue(s): Energy and Environment  

  • Friday
    April 27th,
    2012

    Letter to EPA on Stormwater Regulations

    Today, EPA was supposed to propose rules to curb stormwater run-off—the murky, polluted water that gushes into rivers and oceans after heavy rains. They now say the proposal will come in May.

    The benefits of curbing stormwater run-off are great—uncontaminated fish, clean waters to swim in, lower water treatment costs. Likewise, the costs of delay are major—damage from flooding, erosion, sewer overflows.

    In a letter sent to EPA today, we urged the agency to take steps that will maximize the benefits of controlling this water pollution. But we also hope that they will move quickly to put the rule in place to avoid foisting the costs of dirty water onto the public.

    Issue(s): Energy and Environment  

  • Tuesday
    March 27th,
    2012

    EPA Releases NSPS for Power Plants

    The EPA released its first ever greenhouse gas standards for new power plants after a delay at the beginning of the year. The New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) limit emissions from new plants to 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour of electricity produced.

    As expected, existing plants are exempt from the new rules. We advised OIRA last December against grandfathering in existing plants because this could incentivize power companies to keep older, highly polluting plants running in lieu of replacing or updating them and having to face the new standards.

    To continue targeting toxic emissions from power plants that can cause illness and affect the climate, the EPA should look to broaden its standards to encompass older facilities and consider the possibility of setting standards for natural gas plants.

    Issue(s): Energy and Environment  

  • Tuesday
    February 21st,
    2012

    Comments to EPA on reconsideration of Boiler MACT

    Boiler MACT regulations will take harmful soot out of the air as well as mercury and other heavy metals. It will have a significant positive effect on respiratory and cardiovascular health. But EPA is currently reconsidering some of the rule it deems shaky.

    We think the agency should use this opportunity to improve the rule’s economic efficiency and maximize the benefits to the American public. There is definitely room to tighten some of the elements to improve results.

    The term “cost-effective energy conservation measure” could certainly use further clarification and more targeted application. Its definition is flimsy which can lead to confusion and under-compliance. This could take some of the bite out of a regulation that is slated to save lives and millions of dollars each year.

    Today, Policy Integrity submitted comments to EPA making these recommendations.

    Issue(s): Energy and Environment   Type: Public Comments

  • Monday
    February 13th,
    2012

    Comments to EPA and DOT on CAFE Standards for Model Years 2017-2025

    Cars that hit the streets in 2017 through 2025 will run on far less fuel than they do now. Last summer, the Obama Administration announced a deal with automakers aiming to up the average to 56 miles per gallon and EPA-DOT proposed a new rule that would hold them to that standard.

    The midnight deadline for public comments on this proposed regulation marks one more mile on the long road toward cleaner cars. Before President Obama announced upgrades to the nation’s CAFE standards in 2010, the American fleet had stalled out at an average of 27.5 MPG since 1990.

    These rules have huge benefits to health, the environment, and consumer’s wallets that vastly outweigh the costs of compliance.

    Unfortunately, the rule distorts incentives for manufactures to achieve the lowest cost fuel economy improvements and undervalues the climate change benefits brought about by the rule. We submitted suggestions to EPA-DOT recommending they accurately estimate climate benefits by accounting for catastrophic risks, and revise the “footprint” based standards that incentives inefficiently large vehicles. Corrected, the rules will prove to be even more worthwhile than they currently seem.

    Issue(s): Energy and Environment   Type: Public Comments