Feb

19

What the US could learn from the EU cap and trade scheme

Filed Under EU ETS, National Carbon Cap and Trade, US Carbon Cap and Trade | Comments Off

Businessweek has a nice article discussing some of the failures and criticisms of the EU ETS, along with the implications of cheap carbon prices on clean tech investment.

Feb

8

PJM Study Assesses Possible Impact of Climate Control Legislation

Filed Under National Carbon Cap and Trade, US Carbon Cap and Trade, US Carbon Markets | Comments Off

A PJM Interconnection study concludes that the leading legislative proposals* of the 110th Congress to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil-fuel generation plants could increase wholesale electricity prices from $7.50 per megawatt hour (MWh) to $45/MWh in 2013.

The study, “Potential Effects of Proposed Climate Change Policies on PJM’s Energy Market,” also noted that at those prices the annual market-wide cost of power increase would range from $5.9 billion to $36 billion.  Read more

Jan

21

Does it get greener than the inauguration in ‘09?

Filed Under Carbon Tax, National Carbon Cap and Trade, Obama, US Carbon Cap and Trade, US Carbon Markets | Comments Off

I hope everyone enjoyed watching Obama’s green inauguration, because there are enormous problems with the US economy and financial system that will take priority over his climate legislation goals over the short term, so his carbon neutral inauguration may be the biggest green initiative to come out of DC in 2009.

Jan

17

Cap and Trade makes Strange Bedfellows

Filed Under Carbon Credits, Carbon Offsets, Carbon Tax, Chicago Climate Exchange, National Carbon Cap and Trade, Obama, US Carbon Cap and Trade, Western Climate Initiative | Comments Off

The USCAP presentation got a lot of attention based on the amount of press coverage Ive seen over the past few days.  What I find so funny about this situation is that you have these large industrial companies endorsing a policy that would likely increase their costs down the road, and you have the Republicans complaining about these large companies asking for a cap and trade.  So basically we have the Democrats and the large, polluting industrial companies they’ve complained about as allies on one side, and the Republicans on the other side.  Whats that saying, “politics makes strange bedfellows!”

US Cap and Trade or Carbon Tax?

Western Climate Initiative

Carbon Credits / Chicago Climate Exchange

Jan

17

Policy Experts on U.S. CAP Endorsement of Cap-and-Trade: ‘Right Intent, Wrong Policy’

Filed Under Carbon Tax, National Carbon Cap and Trade, US Carbon Cap and Trade | Comments Off

Climate Task Force supports carbon tax as best policy to reduce nation’s greenhouse gas emissions

Today, Dr. Robert J. Shapiro, U.S. Climate Task Force (CTF) co-founder and former economic advisor to President Bill Clinton, along with Dr. Elaine C. Kamarck, CTF co-founder and former domestic policy advisor to Al Gore, issued the following joint statement in response to the U.S. Climate Action Partnership’s misguided endorsement of an aggressive cap-and-trade scheme leading up to this morning’s House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing:

“The U.S. Climate Action Partnership’s endorsement of an aggressive cap-and-trade scheme represents a significant misstep on America’s path to mitigate carbon emissions. We share their commitment to address the risks of climate change. However, the policy they have chosen is one that has failed to lower emissions in Europe and one strongly opposed by China and other developing nations that have become major CO2 producers. Fortunately, other options exist. Read more

Jan

16

USCAP “Blueprint” Chorus Sings Complex Tune to Half-Empty Caucus Room

Filed Under National Carbon Cap and Trade, US Carbon Cap and Trade | Comments Off

Reported by CTC Washington representative James Handley. Watch this space for CTC’s analysis of the USCAP Blueprint.

The U.S. Climate Action Partnership unveiled its cap-and-trade-based Blueprint for Legislative Action to a half-empty House Cannon Caucus Room this morning. Arriving at the 9 a.m. event, attendees viewed a podium in front of an array of 18 chairs (each with bottled water) marked with names of CEOs and heads of EDF, NRDC, Pew Center, Nature Conservancy and WRI.

At 9:20, the suited “chorus” filed in, taking their assigned places. General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt introduced a “diverse panel” of CEOs and NGO heads. (All but Ursula Burns of Xerox is white; all but three are male. All seemed past the half-century mark.)

Each had a brief speaking role. Jonathan Lash of the World Resources Institute stressed cap-and-trade’s Read more

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