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We recently submitted comments on New York State’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative

Richard Revesz testified at today’s House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing, “EPA’s CO2 Regulations for New and Existing Power Plants: Legal Perspectives.”

We recently submitted comments to the New York State Public Service Commission regarding the Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative, which seeks to spur clean energy innovation and improve consumer choice and affordability in New York State. The Commission sought comments on how best to develop a cost-benefit analysis framework to evaluate utility proposals within the REV and related proceedings. Our comments addressed the consideration of externalities and the social cost of carbon in the Commission’s cost-benefit analysis.

Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit dismissed the first challenges to President Obama’s signature climate change initiative—the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. In the ruling, the judges said they would not take the unprecedented step of blocking the EPA’s regulation before a final rule has even been issued.

Wisconsin is one of more than 40 states with a “net metering” law that allows solar-powered households to sell some of the electricity they generate back into the grid for a fixed price. The Wisconsin Electric Power Company and Wisconsin Gas LLC recently proposed changes to their net metering rates, arguing in part that the rates force them to fund additional grid maintenance and modernization without appropriate compensation. However, the current rates also do not account for the climate and public health benefits from distributed solar generation.

The centerpiece of the Obama Administration’s effort to address climate change through executive action is now a known quantity with the release of the EPA’s proposed carbon pollution guidelines for existing power plants. The rule, pursuant to Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, would cut carbon pollution from power plants 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and allow states to use flexible approaches to meet this target.

Policy Integrity submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency on its proposed performance standards for greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants. To help maximize the net benefits of the proposed standards and to ensure their solid legal foundation, Policy Integrity made the following recommendations: