Recent Projects

During the congressional debate over the climate legislation proposed by Reps. Waxman and Markey, the EPA published several costs estimates for the bill. But the agency was never asked to estimate the corresponding benefits.

New York State subsidizes the electricity bills for some companies as a way of encouraging them to keep their business here.

In November 2008, just weeks before President Obama took office, the Bush Administration finalized a rule increasing the amount of time truck drivers can spend behind the wheel—creating a possible public health and safety hazard. The rule allows truck drivers to drive for 11 hours, one more hour than they were allowed before 2003, and allows them to drive as many as 77 hours in seven days or 88 hours in eight days, over 25 percent more than previously allowed by federal law.

Today, Policy Integrity received favorable feedback on comments we submitted on draft EPA Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses supporting positive changes made in the new draft and suggest additional improvements. The document has been an influential resource for EPA’s consideration of regulatory costs and benefits.

With litigation pending by ACLU, Planned Parenthood, the State of Connecticut and six other states against the physician conscience rule, the new Obama Administration proposed a rescission of the rule. Policy Integrity joined the coalition to submit comments in support of that action.

Shortly after his inauguration, President Obama took steps to halt the adoption or implementation of regulations that went into the pipeline during the final days of the Bush Administration.

In September 2008, EPA’s National Center for Environmental Economics released a new draft of its Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses. In the past, that document has not only been a key resource for EPA’s consideration of regulatory costs and benefits, but it has also influenced the analytical processes used by state agencies and other federal agencies.