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Update on Letter-Grade Fuel Efficiency Labels
Today, the EPA and DOT announced new fuel-efficiency labels for cars. The new stickers will give shoppers detail on the environmental elements of vehicles—miles per gallon, greenhouse gas ratings and smog emissions.
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Letter to FCC On Creation of Trust Fund for Public Media
Today, Policy Integrity sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Obama’s plan for voluntary incentive auctions of noncommercial broadcast television spectrum. This plan would permit the FCC to conduct incentive-based auctions of unused broadband spectrum, making more airwaves available for wireless broadband services to prevent network congestion amid shooting demand for services such as mobile web surfing.
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Letter to Obama Officals on the Social Cost of Carbon
Policy Integrity, along with a group of environmental organizations, sent a letter to government officials urging the Administration to fulfill its commitment to updating the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) value to reflect improving science and economic understanding of climate change and its effects on society. Doing so can communicate to the public important information about the benefits of greenhouse gas reductions and show how the Administration frames the climate change issue and the values it brings to decision-making.
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2011 Heavy-Duty Trucks Rule
EPA and NHTSA have taken a crucial step in addressing our greenhouse gas emissions and oil dependency by regulating the fuel efficiency of heavy-duty trucks for the first time. But, there is room for improvement.
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Public Comments on Head Start
Today, Policy Integrity submitted public comments on proposed regulations triggered by recent amendments to the Head Start Act. The revisions are aimed at maximizing the federal program’s impact.
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NOAA’s Enforcement Practices
This regulatory report recommends more economically effective fines that would increase the protection of our nation’s ocean life. It comes in response to a possible shift in NOAA’s policies that could risk a rise in over-fishing. The suggestion is properly calibrated fees combined with more rigorous enforcement that, together, will serve to efficiently deter harm to marine life.
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Public comments on Green Labels
Lately, labels on eco-friendly products have proliferated. It seems like almost everything is marked as “green,” “compostable,” “free of” something, or made with renewable materials. But who makes sure all these items are as gentle on the environment as they say they are?
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Public Comments on Fuel Economy Label Revisions
Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration proposed revisions to the labels that auto manufacturers have to put in the windows of their vehicles to let buyers know how much—or how little—gas their cars will guzzle.
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Regulatory Change and Optimal Transition Relief
Grandfathering has become a common practice in regulating industries like coal power generation. But it is not clear that phasing out polluting plants is beneficial. The costs of retrofitting existing plants to comply with new standard can be higher than the compliance costs for a new plant. Since the costs of shifting to new technology must be borne at some point, (since granfathering can’t be indefinite) it might be best not to grandfather at all so that society can benefit from lower pollution levels earlier. That’s just one of the arguments examined in this working paper.
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Public Comments to EPA and NHTSA on the Economics of CAFE Standards
In their first notice of intent to propose new fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles Model Year 2017 and later, EPA and NHTSA ask for comments on their research plan for the coming months and raise crucial questions, such as why the private market does not currently provide for more fuel-efficient vehicles and whether there are any “unidentified additional costs” of fuel-efficient
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