NEW PAPER
Last night, President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address, putting forth his policy agenda to the 112th Congress on issues. Since its launch in 2006, The Hamilton Project has developed targeted policy proposals that touch on many of these areas, which we offer as a resource to policymakers in response to specific ideas mentioned by the President last evening.
Ted Gayer proposes three reforms addressing several problems that undermine the role played by cost-benefit analysis in environmental regulation: 1) agencies should use a check list of good empirical practices for using cost-benefit analysis; 2) regulators should presume that consumers can make their own energy-saving decisions and focus on regulations addressing harm people impose on others; and 3) a six-month, early regulatory review process should be established for particularly important regulations.
John M. Deutch proposes a series of best practices for government support of U.S. technology demonstration and a new institution, the Energy Technology Corporation, that would be responsible for managing and selecting technology demonstration projects.
Joseph E. Aldy proposes a national clean energy standard that would lower carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 60 percent relative to 2005 levels over twenty years, streamline the fragmented regulatory system that is currently in place, generate fiscal benefits, and help fund energy innovation.
America’s energy choices are built on the prices we see at the pump and our utility bills. Yet these prices mask the social costs arising from those energy choices, including shorter lives, higher health care expenses, a changing climate, and weakened national security. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney provide four principles for reforming America’s energy policies to help level the playing field for all energy sources — moving away from a system that favors energy sources with lower prices at the pump but higher costs to society through health impacts and our ongoing reliance on foreign oil.
Despite modest improvement in April jobs numbers, the job gap — the number of U.S. jobs that must be created to return to pre-recession levels — is just under 12 million. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney also explore the impact of air pollution on long-term employment and the productivity of American workers.
Two market problems in addressing climate change are lack of private incentive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and underinvestment by industry in R&D. This proposal addresses these issues through permanent R&D tax credits and support for research institutions.
This paper lays out the arguments for using cap-and-trade to address climate change and proposes a system that includes an upstream cap on CO2, a gradual downward trajectory of emissions ceilings over time, and mechanisms to reduce cost uncertainty.
This paper describes a carbon tax swap that is revenue and distributionally neutral. The tax swap levies a tax on greenhouse gas emissions with revenue being used to fund a reduction in the income tax, tied to earned income.
This paper presents a strategy for addressing climate change and promoting energy security that includes pricing carbon and oil, investing in basic research on energy technologies, and engaging with other major emitting nations.
When energy sources are priced, including the social costs – environmental degregation and health risks, different winners and losers come out than when prices are simply those shown at the pump.
The map above shows counties designated “non-attainment” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because their pollution concentrations of specific contaminants exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Michael Greenstone's recent testimony before the Joint Economic Committee on the importance of Research and Development (R&D).
Hamilton Project Director Michael Greenstone’s testimony before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Hamilton Project Policy Director Jason Bordoff’s remarks to the Geneva Trade and Development Forum.
In a presentation before the Select Committee on Global Warming and Energy Independence, Hamilton Project Policy Director Jason Bordoff discussed the economic costs of various approaches to Cap-and-Trade.
Jason Bordoff's prepared remarks in Tokyo, Japan.
America’s current energy system poses long-term threats to national security, health, and the environment. On May 18, The Hamilton Project hosted a forum on America’s energy future, focusing on strategies to give all energy sources equal footing in the marketplace and expand America’s opportunities to utilize cleaner, low-cost sources of energy.
The Hamilton Project hosted a forum highlighting a new strategy paper and two new discussion papers on how to best design market mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including proposals to expand the federal R&D program to better promote the development of new greenhouse gas-reducing technologies.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell provides keynote remarks on bipartisan strategies to address America's energy challenges.
Full audio from Keynote Remarks: "Bipartisan Solutions to America’s Energy Challenges" at the event America’s Energy Future: New Solutions to Fuel Economic Growth and Prosperity.
Full audio from Panel 2: "The Future of Energy and Climate Change Policy" at the event America’s Energy Future: New Solutions to Fuel Economic Growth and Prosperity.
Full audio from Welcome and Panel 1: "New Policies for a Cleaner Economy" at the event America’s Energy Future: New Solutions to Fuel Economic Growth and Prosperity.
When energy sources are priced, including the social costs – environmental degregation and health risks, different winners and losers come out than when prices are simply those shown at the pump.
The recent climb in gasoline prices to $4 per gallon is the latest headwind facing the U.S. economy. In addition to this threat to economic growth, America’s current energy system poses long-term threats to national security, health, and the environment. On May 18, The Hamilton Project hosted a forum on America’s energy future, focusing on strategies to give all energy sources equal footing in the marketplace and expand America’s opportunities to utilize cleaner, low-cost sources of energy.
The map above shows counties designated “non-attainment” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because their pollution concentrations of specific contaminants exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
The Hamilton Project hosted a forum highlighting a new strategy paper and two new discussion papers on how to best design market mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including proposals to expand the federal R&D program to better promote the development of new greenhouse gas reducing technologies.
Full video from the A Climate of Change: Economic Approaches to Reforming Energy and Protecting the Environment Hamilton Project event.
A periodic newsletter of events, policy briefs, and working papers from The Hamilton Project.
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