Results from RFF’s Survey of Shale Gas Experts
In a recent letter, Senator Wyden (D-OR) called for balanced regulations on hydraulic fracturing that protect public health and the environment, especially in terms of air and water quality.
Potential risks to surface water and air quality are also highlighted as priorities in a new report by experts in RFF’s Center for Energy Economics and Policy. A key finding in the report is a high degree of consensus among experts from government agencies, industry, academia, and nongovernmental organizations about the specific environmental risks to mitigate. Read more about the survey and experts here.
Traffic Congestion
Washington, DC tops the list for worst traffic congestion in the United States for the second straight year. The research shows that “unless something is done about traffic, the economic recovery will put more wheels on the road and create more congestion.”
Research by RFF scholars examines congestion in the DC area, finding that while high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes may have “disappointed their many advocates,” converting HOV lanes into high-occupancy/toll (HOT) lanes could be a win-win. They note, “People pay HOT lane tolls only if they are more than compensated by the value of travel time savings, and drivers remaining in adjacent unpriced lanes benefit from reduced congestion.”
Energy Efficiency Gap
A new report on improving energy efficiency finds that consumers need better information about efficiency opportunities, and suggests that “Congress should reform and extend federal tax incentives that promote energy efficiency.”
Strategies to improve information can help address the energy efficiency gap—the failure of consumers to make seemingly economically beneficial investments in energy efficiency—according to research by RFF Research Director and Senior Fellow Karen Palmer and Kenneth Gillingham of Yale University. However, they note that tax incentives may not generate the desired effect and instead suggest a tax on emissions, which would “raise the price of energy, making energy efficient products more financially attractive.”
