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Struggling for Air
Power Plants and the “War on Coal”
Since the beginning of the Obama Administration, conservative politicians have railed against the President’s “War on Coal.” As evidence of this supposed siege, they point to a series of rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency that aim to slash air pollution from the nation’s power sector. Because coal produces far more pollution than any other major energy source, these rules are expected to further reduce its already shrinking share of the electricity market in favor of cleaner options like natural gas and solar power. But the EPA’s policies are hardly the “unprecedented regulatory assault” that opponents make them out to be. Instead, they are merely the latest chapter in a multi-decade struggle to overcome a tragic flaw in our nation’s most important environmental law.
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Livermore/Revesz Article Honored
A recent article by Policy Integrity’s director, Richard Revesz, and founding executive director, Michael Livermore, has been selected for inclusion in the ninth annual Environmental Law and Policy Annual Review.
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Illuminating the Hidden Costs of Coal (Summary for Policymakers)
This summary document describes how the Department of the Interior can make strides in modernizing the federal coal program through straightforward royalty rate increases and fiscal reform.
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Illuminating the Hidden Costs of Coal
How the Interior Department Can Use Economic Tools to Modernize the Federal Coal Program
This report analyzes the hidden costs of coal production, and suggests updates that the Department of the Interior could make to modernize the federal coal program and earn “fair market value” for taxpayers, as required by law.
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Payday Lending Public Comments
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is currently developing regulations that could protect millions of lower-income Americans from predatory payday lenders. We submitted public comments on the agency’s regulatory approach.
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Expert Consensus on the Economics of Climate Change
We surveyed everyone who published an article related to climate change in a highly ranked economics journal over the past 20 years. The survey revealed consensus that climate damages could be more severe and more immediate than previously thought.
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Familiar Territory
A Survey of Legal Precedents for the Clean Power Plan
In this essay, we highlight a wide variety of regulations from the Clean Air Act’s forty-five-year history that provide substantial precedent for the flexible design of the Clean Power Plan.
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Comments on Oil and Gas Methane Emission Standards
We submitted public comments on the EPA on its proposed New Source Performance Standards for methane and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from the oil and natural gas sector.
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The Economic Climate
Establishing Expert Consensus on the Economics of Climate Change
This working paper offers detailed analysis of our survey of economic experts on climate change issues. We surveyed all those who published an article on climate change in a highly ranked economics journal over the past 20 years. The survey focused on estimated climate impacts and appropriate policy responses, and the results reveal several areas where expert consensus exists on these issues.
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Hein Joins Experts to Discuss Oil-by-Rail
Jayni Hein, our policy director, presented today at a national conference on oil-by-rail policies, “Oil Train Response 2015: Community Risks & Solutions,” in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.