Full Title: The Texas Path: Preserving energy sovereignty to cut taxes
Author(s): Josiah Neeley
Publisher(s): R Street Institute
Publication Date: November 1, 2015
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Texas faces some tough energy choices. Under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan (CPP), Texas is expected by 2030 to have reduced carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions from existing electrical generation units (EGUs) by between 21 and 33 percent. Dealing with the fallout from the CPP will have profound implications for Texas’ economy, environment and electric grid.
Given this, it is important to make a clear-eyed evaluation of Texas’ options to respond. This paper looks at one such option: imposing a fee on electricity generated from CO2 – emitting sources, with all resulting revenue returned to taxpayers in the form of cuts to existing taxes. This approach would not foreclose existing or future legal or legislative challenges to the CPP.