Research that Informs Business and Public Policy
Black households’ energy expenditures are significantly higher than white households’. I immigrated to the United States from one of the whitest places on earth – Northern Bavaria, Germany. I have … Continue Reading Consuming Energy While Black
Industry and utility customers should chip in to support the carbon price floor. The Covid-19 crisis has led to all sorts of dramatic changes in lifestyles and economies. The energy … Continue Reading The High Cost of Low Carbon Prices
Lower trade barriers on dirty industries effectively subsidize climate change. Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash In my new working paper and cool accompanying video released today, I assess how international … Continue Reading International Trade Policies Subsidize Pollution
Carbon pricing around the world is demonstrating an important proof of concept Climate change policy (or the lack of it) is finally becoming a mainstream issue in U.S. politics. A … Continue Reading Would a Carbon Tax Hurt the Economy?
With new carbon capture and sequestration technologies, can fossil fuels be part of the zero-carbon solution? The start of a new year – and decade – is a good time … Continue Reading Fossil Fuels are Dead, Long Live Fossil Fuels
Millennials, carbon pricing, falling solar prices and Greta Thunberg topped our most-read list. I’m often asked, “Who actually writes the Energy Institute’s blog posts?” These questioners expect to hear that … Continue Reading Top 10 Blog Posts for 2019
It won’t reduce energy use much, but it can fundamentally alter where that energy comes from. A decade ago, there seemed to be a Kumbaya trend in climate policy. Politicians … Continue Reading What Can Carbon Pricing Do?
A young “Climate Warrior” sails into New York with a powerful message. Christopher Columbus in 1492 found some evidence supporting the theory that the Earth is actually round. (Pythagoras “a … Continue Reading The Economic Case For Greta Thunberg
What would the Lorax say about today’s forest offsets? The race is on. Democratic presidential candidates are jockeying for position. And climate change is emerging as a top priority. Jay … Continue Reading Are Trees Getting Too Much Climate Credit…or Not Enough?
It has a face that only economists can love? We economists have long been enamored with carbon pricing. The concept is simple and sensible. If the economic damages from greenhouse … Continue Reading The Trouble with Carbon Pricing
A GHG tax alone doesn’t solve the global need for low-cost alternative technologies Economists seldom discuss climate change without someone opining that it is simply an externality that can be … Continue Reading Pricing Carbon Isn’t Enough
Today EVs are driven much less than other cars, which has big implications for the environment. Where in the country you drive an electric vehicle matters a lot for the … Continue Reading All Charged Up, No Place to Go
A new policy proposal uses bad science to undermine the Social Cost of Carbon. The most important number in environmental economics that most people have never heard of is called … Continue Reading Whose Climate Damages Should Count?
Even my favorite colleagues can’t agree. When you listen to conversations between energy economists about pretty much anything, it often feels like an episode of Debbie Downer. We find something … Continue Reading How Local Should Your Energy Retailer Be?
Progressive fines for traffic violations may make economic sense. I cross a busy intersection on one of my regular jogging routes. I have been nearly run over numerous times by … Continue Reading Should Rich People Pay Higher Speeding Tickets?
What the Solar Rooftop Standard has to tell us about our climate policies. If you follow this blog, you are probably already aware that last Wednesday, the California Energy Commission, … Continue Reading Lessons in Regulatory Hubris
