US Federal

To meet the climate challenge, the United States needs a comprehensive national approach. Well-designed federal policy can cut emissions and strengthen resilience while driving economic growth.

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Carbon Market Design and Oversight: A Short Overview

At the heart of any successful cap-and-trade program is a well-functioning market for the trading of emissions allowances. The sulfur dioxide allowance market created under 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments to control acid rain is an example of such a …

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Economic Insights from Modeling Analyses of the American Clean Energy and Security Act

Economic models are an important tool for evaluating the potential impact of proposed legislation on our economy. This brief compares modeling analyses of the House-passed clean energy and climate bill (H.R. 2454) conducted by seven different groups including government agencies, …

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In Brief: Update on the 10-50 Solution: Progress Toward a Low-Carbon Future

Addressing the challenge of global climate change will require a significant reduction in annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States and throughout the world by 2050. This will necessitate a fundamental shift from an economy predominantly based on …

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In Brief: What Pending Climate Legislation Does for Nuclear Power

Electricity generation accounts for more than one third of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Nuclear power is a virtually carbon-free source of reliable, baseload electricity which can play a very large role in decarbonizing the U.S. electric power sector. …

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Cost Containment and Offset Use in the American Clean Energy and Security Act

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act, sponsored by Representatives Waxman and Markey, on June 26, 2009. The ACES Act includes a market-based regulatory program—cap and trade—to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Specified …

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In Brief: What the Waxman-Markey Bill Does for Coal

Coal is an inexpensive and abundant domestic energy resource; the United States has larger coal reserves than any other country—likely enough to sustain current production levels for more than two centuries. Coal prices are generally less volatile than those of …

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Addressing Competitiveness Issues in Climate Legislation

Energy-intensive industries may face certain competitiveness concerns resulting from a program to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Industries such as aluminum, cement, iron and steel, pulp, paper, and certain chemicals — as large energy users — all have high …

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National Security Implications of Global Climate Change

Recently, respected voices in the U.S. national security community—general officers, CIA analysts, high-level Pentagon officials—have warned that global climate change threatens American security. The security implications of climate change can be parsed into three broad categories: The changing foreign policy landscape …

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Distribution of Allowances under the ACES Act

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act on June 26, 2009 by a vote of 219-212. The ACES Act includes a cap-and-trade program designed to limit emissions of greenhouse gases in the United …

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In Brief: What the Waxman-Markey Bill Does for Agriculture

Agriculture, likely one of America’s most vulnerable sectors to a changing climate, has much to gain from a comprehensive climate policy.  Agriculture’s vulnerability to climate change was highlighted in a recent study by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (including …

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