The OurEnergyLibrary aggregates and indexes publicly available fact sheets, journal articles, reports, studies, and other publications on U.S. energy topics. It is updated every week to include the most recent energy resources from academia, government, industry, non-profits, think tanks, and trade associations. Suggest a resource by emailing us at info@ourenergypolicy.org.
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While internal combustion engines are more efficient and cleaner than ever, the transportation sector is still responsible for 27 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with half of all transportation emissions coming from light-duty passenger vehicles. The Energy Information Administration predicts the internal combustion engine will be the dominant engine for the next several decades, making both fuel and engine efficiency critical pieces in reducing the GHG intensity of the transportation sector. Federal regulations that require the increased use of renewable fuels (Renewable Fuels Standard or RFS) and improvements in vehicle fuel economy (Corporate Average Fleet Economy or CAFE) have …
View Full ResourceTwo years after President Obama announced his Climate Action Plan, the administration has made marked progress toward achieving its goals. The plan, announced June 25, 2013, outlines 75 goals in three areas: cutting carbon pollution in the United States, preparing the United States for the impacts of climate change, and leading international efforts to address climate change. To date, there has been at least initial government action related to every item in the plan.
Notable areas of progress include steps to limit carbon pollution from power plants; new energy efficiency standards; actions to reduce methane and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions; the …
View Full ResourceWe have received several questions regarding the potential enforcement and liability issues implicated by the Existing Source Performance Standards (“ESPS”) rule that the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) will release this summer. If finalized as proposed, the ESPS would risk the expansion of federal authority for enforcement actions in this sphere against States as well as numerous parties who bear no relationship to the sources that are the intended subject of § 111(d) of the Clean Air Act (“CAA”). It also could expose States and these third parties to legal action under the citizen suit provisions of the CAA by non-governmental …
View Full ResourceWe have received several questions regarding the potential enforcement and liability issues implicated by the Existing Source Performance Standards (“ESPS”) rule that the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) will release this summer. If finalized as proposed, the ESPS would risk the expansion of federal authority for enforcement actions in this sphere against States as well as numerous parties who bear no relationship to the sources that are the intended subject of § 111(d) of the Clean Air Act (“CAA”). It also could expose States and these third parties to legal action under the citizen suit provisions of the CAA by non-governmental …
View Full ResourceHas increased reliance on renewable energy in the United States meant expensive electricity in the United States? This question has pervaded debates on renewables and fossil fuels, and this paper sheds light on this critical issue, including a look at the top and bottom 10 renewable states. Determination of the top 10 and bottom 10 states here is based on share of total electricity generated from all renewable sources. The top 10, therefore, includes states like South Dakota, which has significant wind generation, as well as states like California, which has significant solar generation. It reveals that states with the …
View Full ResourceThis study evaluates the potential compliance costs and impacts on the U.S. economy if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were to set a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone of 65 parts per billion (ppb). Employing our integrated energy-economic macroeconomic model (NewERA), we estimate that the potential emissions control costs could reduce U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by about $140 billion per year on average over the period from 2017 through 2040 and by about $1.7 trillion over that period in present value terms. The potential labor market impacts represent an average annual loss employment income equivalent …
View Full ResourceIn the past few years, interest in plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) has grown. Advances in battery and other technologies, new federal standards for carbon-dioxide emissions and fuel economy, state zero-emission-vehicle requirements, and the current administration’s goal of putting millions of alternative-fuel vehicles on the road have all highlighted PEVs as a transportation alternative. Consumers are also beginning to recognize the advantages of PEVs over conventional vehicles, such as lower operating costs, smoother operation, and better acceleration; the ability to fuel up at home; and zero tailpipe emissions when the vehicle operates solely on its battery. There are, however, barriers to …
View Full ResourceThe case for taking action on climate change has never been clearer: as the third National Climate Assessment states, the U.S. is already experiencing the effects of climate change, from increasing heat across the country to more extreme weather events totaling billions of dollars in damage. Given these impacts, and much worse to come, the cost of inaction to our health, environment, and economy is far too great, especially when effective and lowcost means for reducing climate-warming pollution are available now. In this report, we show how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can fulfill the agency’s duty under the …
View Full ResourceClimate change poses a real and present danger to people in countries all over the world. Scientists agree that we need to move swiftly and aggressively to decarbonize the global economy—that is, to reduce the amount of carbon released per unit of gross domestic product—by deploying clean energy technologies and making energy systems more efficient.
In the United States, electric utilities are the largest source of carbon pollution. Therefore, the reduction of power-sector emissions needs to be a central component of any meaningful climate mitigation strategy. In June, the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, released a landmark proposal to establish …
View Full ResourceThe landmark 2007 U.S. Supreme Court case, Massachusetts v. EPA, paved the way for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs) under the Clean Air Act (CAA). The case began in 2003 when the EPA said it lacked authority under the CAA to regulate GHGs and even if it did have that authority, that it would not set GHG standards for vehicles. A group led by 12 states sued the EPA, arguing that carbon dioxide and other GHGs should be regulated under the CAA, as these gases contribute to climate change, which can cause harm to …
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