Recent Projects

The EPA has again delayed its proposal of New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) targeting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The agency passed a September settlement agreement deadline and has not set a date for the actual release.

The federal regulation of greenhouse gases from coal-powered plants called “New Source Performance Standards” has been delayed several times but is now set to be released in early 2012.

Policy Integrity submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging updates to its New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) program standards for nitrogen oxide (NOx ) and nitric acid plants, which can emit dangerous air pollutants that can cause illness and alter the climate. Though a statute requires the EPA to review and revise related regulations every eight years, the rules governing these plants have not been updated in four decades.

Policy Integrity submitted an amicus brief today on a federal court case challenging the EPA’s ability to regulate emissions from motor vehicles. Some industry groups and states are contesting the validity of the EPA and NHTSA’s (National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration) “Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards” finalized last year.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced its final policy on incorporating full fuel cycle analysis. This form of analysis expands on the current way of estimating the energy savings of appliances by including the costs of everything from fuel extraction to distribution and also estimating the greenhouse gas impacts of the machine.

The EPA released proposed regulations earlier this year in May to curb hazardous air pollutants, including mercury, from electric utility steam generating units (EGUs). Policy Integrity submitted comments today to the EPA on improving the efficiency of these rules, known as Utility MACT and Utility NSPS. They are both expected to be finalized later this year.

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.

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.

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.