President Obama touched on a number of environmental issues during last week’s State of the Union address, emphasizing that “no challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.” Read on for analysis by RFF researchers on the policy ideas mentioned throughout the address.
On regulating carbon emissions:
- In RFF’s Expert Forum on the Clean Power Plan, leaders from the public and private sectors answer 10 questions about EPA’s proposal to cut power plant emissions—from increasing the efficiency of coal plants to improving energy efficiency.
- In an RFF webinar series cohosted with the Electric Power Research Institute, experts explore the costs and benefits of EPA’s Clean Power Plan.
- RFF experts examine the electricity price impacts of a carbon tax, which they note would be smaller across states than across income groups.
On climate change:
- An RFF/Stanford/USA Today survey reveals that 81 percent of Americans think the government should limit US greenhouse gas emissions.
On falling gas prices:
- Stephen Brown explains why falling crude prices will boost economic activity in 42 states and DC, while negatively affecting eight other states that depend on energy production exports.
- Alan Krupnick notes that low oil prices will affect the US production of tight oil when companies’ rates of investment return begin to fall.
On fuel efficiency standards:
- Joshua Linn explains the tradeoffs between fuel efficiency and other technologies—like horsepower—that occur when manufacturers respond to tightening fuel economy standards.
On the US agreement with China:
- Phil Sharp writes that “attention to the environment by federal and state governments … has created a major American asset,” noting that both countries have much to learn from one another.
- Nathan Richardson cautions against optimism, noting that “[even] controlling local air pollution is not sufficient to reduce [China’s] dependence on coal.”
