Full Title: Forging the Climate Consensus: Harmonizing State and Federal Climate Programs
Author(s): W. Reilly (Co-Chair), J. Rowe (Co-Chair), S. Tierney (Co-Chair), et al.
Publisher(s): National Commission on Energy Policy, Bipartisan Policy Center
Publication Date: November 1, 2009
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Description (excerpt):
If federal climate legislation cannot establish common ground between state and federal approaches, the likely result is a political impasse that will make federal legislation more difficult. Although it is possible that states could subsequently “go it alone,” this outcome would limit the scope and the effectiveness of a U.S. approach to climate change.
State and federal goals on climate change, however, need not collide. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454, the “Waxman-Markey” bill) has a number of provisions that help reconcile state and federal approaches and provide an appropriate division of labor between state and federal governments. This paper explores the key issues involved in harmonizing state and federal approaches, examines options for harmonization, and makes recommendations for how best to utilize the comparative advantages of national, regional, and state climate programs.