On Saturday I participated in a panel on climate change policy, “Environmental Protection in a Climate of Change,” at the American Constitution Society’s National Convention in Washington, D.C. In addition to yours truly the panel featured Vicki Arroyo of the Georgetown Climate Center, Interior Department Deputy Solicitor Rachel Jacobson, and Andrew Light of the Center […]
Archive | Energy
Preventing the Next Oil Spill with Liability
The University of Chicago’s Richard Epstein argues against liability limits for environmental accidents, like BP’s Gulf oil spill in today’s WSJ. Tort remedies are essential to protect people (and their property) who do not have contractual relations with defendants from harms such as air and water pollution. The legal system should never allow self-interested parties […]
Suing EPA Over Gulf Cleanup
The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a notice of intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for authorizing the use of chemical dispersants to faciliate the cleanup of oil from the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico. According to a CBD attorney, “The fact that no one in the federal government ever […]
Prosecuting BP
University of Michigan law professor David Uhlmann, former chief of the environmental crimes section in the Department of Justice, had an op-ed in the NYT discussing the potential prosecution of British Petroleum and its executives for the Deepwater Horizon blowout and spill. He writes: If the spill had resulted from a hurricane or lightning strike, […]
Comment on Kerry-Lieberman Climate Bill
I am a sometime-contributor to the National Journal‘s Energy & Environment Expert Blog. This week the focus is the Kerry-Lieberman climate change bill, the “American Power Act,” and the EPA’s decision to raise the threshold for stationary sources regulated under the Clean Air Act from emissions to 75,000 tons per year for carbon dioxide, even […]
Splitting Up MMS to Prevent Oil Spills
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar plans to break up the Minerals Management Service in the wake of the offshore well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. The rationale is that the MMS has an internal conflict-of-interest because it is responsible for both generating revenue through offshore leases as well as protecting worker safety and the environment. […]
Bloggers disagree on politics of offshore drilling, and immigration
The latest National Journal poll of political bloggers asked: “With the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, does it make political sense for President Obama to stick to his plans to allow increased oil and gas development along the coasts?” Only 6% of the Left, but 75% of the Right thought that it did still make […]
Cape Wind Approved
This morning, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced his approval of the proposed Cape Wind offshore wind energy project in the Nantucket Sound. This is an important decision, as the Cape Wind project will be the nation’s first offshore wind farm. Offshore wind power has a significant foothold in Europe, but not in the United States. […]
OMB Has Its Eyes on Prizes
Earlier this month, with little fanfare, the Obama Administration took a small but significant step toward encouraging greater technological innovation. On March 8, the Office of Management and Budget issued a guidance to federal agencies on the use of challenges and prizes to spur technological innovation. This memorandum seeks to “strongly encourage” federal agencies to […]
A New Nuclear Option
Energy Scecretary Steven Chu writes on the promise and potential of small nuclear reactors: Small modular reactors would be less than one-third the size of current plants. They have compact designs and could be made in factories and transported to sites by truck or rail. SMRs would be ready to “plug and play” upon arrival. […]
Greener Grid, Fewer Jobs
There may be lots of good reasons to develop a “smart grid” for electricity transmission, but as Sunil Sharan explains, job creation is not among them. Automating functions to increase energy efficiency can be worthwhile, but it will tend reduce the need for labor. So, for instance, installing smart meters nationwide could produce a few […]
A Setback for Nuclear Power
Yesterday the Vermont state senate voted overwhelmingly to block renewal of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant’s license after 2012. The NYT reports: In an unusual state foray into nuclear regulation, the Vermont Senate voted 26 to 4 Wednesday to block operation of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant after 2012, citing radioactive leaks, misstatements in […]
Another Biomass Blunder
The federal government’s love affair with ethanol subsidies drove up food prices, depleted plains state aquifers and subsidized the destruction of water fowl habitat. Today’s Washington Post reports that that Biomass Crop Assistance Program is having similarly untoward and unintended consequences. In a matter of months, the Biomass Crop Assistance Program — a small provision […]
Less Electricity, More Accidents
Many jurisdictions have begun installing LED traffic lights. LEDs use less electricity, require less maintenance, and last longer than conventional bulbs. But as the NYT reports, there’s also a catch for colder parts of the country. LEDs generate less heat, and are more prone to collecting ice and snow, which can block the signal. According […]
Mining for Green Power
The NYT reports on how the push for environmentally friendly power soruces has driven up demand for rare-earth elements, which can have environmentally unfriendly consequences. There are 17 rare-earth elements — some of which, despite the name, are not particularly rare — but two heavy rare earths, dysprosium and terbium, are in especially short supply, […]