Development and Wildfires
Last Wednesday, fire crews finally contained the Waldo Canyon fire outside of Colorado Springs. Although the combination of dry, hot weather and fuel-rich forests are the obvious drivers of major fires, RFF Fellow Carolyn Kousky argues in the New York Times that housing development can generate additional risks for property loss. Research conducted by Kousky and Fellow Sheila Olmsteadshows that federal fire suppression efforts can drive development into fire-prone areas, increasing the possibility of human-caused fires and damage to property.
True Cost of Electric Power
Consumers may be confused that as natural gas prices continue to drop, electricity prices are going up in many areas. Fuel prices do strongly influence the price of electricity, but there are many costs of power generation that are not captured in market prices. RFF Senior Fellows Dallas Burtraw and Alan Krupnick address the true cost of electric power in a new study conducted with REN21. They evaluate the current methods used to capture the true cost of energy and make recommendations for policymakers who wish to incorporate those true costs into their decisions.
Health Benefits of Cleaner Energy
To combat potential shortages, India’s prime minister recently directed the Environmental Ministry to approve 12 new coal mining projects, which will increase current production levels by 25 percent. India relies heavily on coal to fuel its energy production—70 percent comes from coal-fired power plants. Installing simple pollution controls could save hundreds of lives annually, as Senior Fellow Maureen Cropper explains in the latest issue of Resources. Research conducted by Cropper and her team shows that adding controls like scrubbers and coal washing will increase electricity prices, but those costs are far outweighed by the resulting health benefits.
