Recent Projects

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) proposed a rule that would preclude banks from taking climate risks into account when making decisions regarding the provision of financial services. We submitted joint comments explaining how OCC fails to consider or justify serious costs imposed by the rule. Climate risks pose a significant threat to the economic and operational health of firms in the energy sector and to the stability of the financial system as a whole.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act benefit and payment parameters for the 2022 coverage year that could cause significant health costs. We submitted comments on several elements of the proposed rule, including (1) its authorization of entirely privatized insurance marketplaces; (2) its promotion of the use of private enrollment websites by enrollment assisters; (3) its reduction of marketplace user fees; and (4) its continued reliance on a 2019 change to the formulas used to calculate premium-adjustment percentages and cost-sharing limits for consumers.

Our comments on the Revised Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update for the 2008 Ozone NAAQS identify critical flaws in the proposal's design and regulatory impact analysis. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) unreasonably low valuation of climate effects also contributes to its selection of an inefficient policy alternative. We submitted joint comments detailing how EPA's flawed analysis harms public health and the environment.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed to retrospectively and prospectively establish an "expiration date" for each of its regulations. Under the proposed rule, regulations would be automatically rescinded unless HHS first completes a restrospective review of the regulation's effects on small entities pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act. We submitted comments criticizing the proposal, which is neither lawful nor rational.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposed a policy statement on carbon pricing in organized wholesale electricity markets. We submitted comments encouraging FERC to strengthen its proposal by making specific clarifications. We later submitted reply comments addressing points made by other commenters and providing further guidance on how FERC can improve its final policy statement.

Complainants in an ongoing proceeding ask that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) make changes to the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)'s capacity market that would impose offer floors on all capacity market bids by state-supported renewables. We submitted comments showing why the complaint's arguments and evidence fall short of the legal standards required for FERC to make the findings and grant the relief requested.

New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has adopted a damage-cost approach to valuing carbon dioxide pollution. We submitted comments on the DEC's draft guidance supporting the policy. Our comments also raise points about the appropriate use of discount rates, calculating damages for other greenhouse gases, inclusion of co-benefits in analysis, and further considerations for a marginal abatement cost approach.

ONRR has proposed to roll back large portions of the Valuation Rule, after previously failing in court to both suspend the rule and repeal the rule.  We submitted comments explaining that the agency has failed yet again to provide a reasoned explanation for the rollback. 

A proposed oil and gas lease sale in Colorado would offer over 45,000 acres in areas valuable for recreation, wildlife, environmental conservation, and tourism. We submitted comments explaining how the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) environmental assessment neglects its duties to manage public lands for multiple uses and consider more limited leasing scenarios.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) environmental assessment for the Iroquois Gas Transmission System’s Enhancement by Compression Project -- which calls for four natural-gas compressor stations in New York -- fails to estimate the project's downstream or upstream greenhouse gas emissions, and falsely suggests that the project may fully substitute for other sources of fossil-fuel energy. We submitted comments calling on FERC to quantify and monetize greenhouse gas emissions, and rebutting the suggestion that the project will not increase total emissions.