U.S. Energy and the Environment : An Overview and Comparative Analysis.
- 1st ed.
- 1 online resource (225 pages)
- Energy Policies, Politics and Prices .
- Energy Policies, Politics and Prices .
Intro -- U.S. ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: AN OVERVIEW AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS -- U.S. ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: AN OVERVIEW AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- Chapter 1 THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, THE APOLLO PROGRAM, AND FEDERAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY R& -- D PROGRAMS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS -- SUMMARY -- THE MANHATTAN PROJECT -- THE APOLLO PROGRAM -- ENERGY TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT -- COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, THE APOLLO PROGRAM, AND FEDERAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY R& -- D -- Funding -- Threat Perception -- Goal Clarity -- Technology Customer -- IMPLICATIONS FOR CONGRESS -- End Notes -- Chapter 2 NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL: ALTERNATIVES TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN -- SUMMARY -- PROPOSALS FOR A NEW DIRECTION -- BASELINE: CURRENT WASTE PROGRAM PROJECTIONS -- OPTIONS FOR HALTING OR DELAYING YUCCA MOUNTAIN -- Withdraw License Application -- Reduce Appropriations -- Key Policy Appointments -- Waste Program Review -- CONSEQUENCES OF A YUCCA MOUNTAIN POLICY SHIFT -- Federal Liabilities for Disposal Delays -- Licensing Complications for New Power Reactors -- Environmental Cleanup Penalties -- Long-Term Risk -- NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY OPTIONS -- Institutional Changes -- Extended On-Site Storage -- Federal Central Interim Storage -- Private Central Storage -- Spent Fuel Reprocessing and Recycling -- Non-Repository Options -- New Repository Site -- CONCLUDING DISCUSSION -- End Notes -- Chapter 3 U.S. ENERGY: OVERVIEW AND SELECTED FACTS AND NUMBERS -- SUMMARY -- INTRODUCTION -- OIL -- Petroleum Consumption, Supply, and Imports -- Petroleum and Transportation -- Petroleum Prices: Historical Trends -- Petroleum Prices: The 2004-2008 Bubble -- Gasoline Taxes -- ELECTRICITY -- OTHER CONVENTIONAL ENERGY RESOURCES -- Natural Gas -- COAL -- RENEWABLES -- CONSERVATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY -- Vehicle Fuel Economy. Energy Consumption and GDP -- MAJOR STATISTICAL RESOURCES -- Energy Information Administration (EIA) -- EIA home page-http://www.eia.doe.gov -- EIA, Publications and Reports - http://www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf.html -- Other Sources -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- End Notes -- Chapter 4 BIOCHAR: EXAMINATION OF AN EMERGING CONCEPT TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE -- SUMMARY -- INTRODUCTION -- BIOCHAR -- Potential Advantages -- Carbon sequestration -- Greenhouse gas emission reduction -- Soil fertility -- Potential Disadvantages -- Feedstock availability -- Biochar handling -- Biochar system deployment -- POLICY CONTEXT -- Climate Change Debate -- Farm Bill -- Long-Term Prospects -- International Recognition -- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ACTIVITIES -- SELECT U.S. MANUFACTURERS -- Eprida, Inc. -- Carbon Char Group, LLC -- INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES -- End Notes -- Chapter 5 ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY VEHICLES: ISSUES IN CONGRESS -- SUMMARY -- INTRODUCTION -- MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS -- BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS -- Congressional Interest -- Legislative background -- The Energy Policy Act of 1992 -- The Energy Policy Act of 2005 -- The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2005 -- The 2008 Farm Bill -- The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 -- Other Legislation -- Current Issues -- Fuel Tax Incentives -- Ethanol and MTBE -- Cellulosic Biofuels22 -- Ethanol Imports -- Vehicle Purchase Requirements -- Vehicle Purchase Tax Incentives -- Biodiesel -- Hydrogen and Fuel Cells -- ALTERNATIVE FUEL AND ADVANCED VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY PROVISIONS IN THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009 -- Hybrid Vehicles -- FOR ADDITIONAL READING -- End Notes -- Chapter 6 CARBON TAX AND GREENHOUSE GAS CONTROL: OPTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR CONGRESS -- SUMMARY -- INTRODUCTION -- OTHER POLICY OPTIONS FOR ADDRESSING GHG EMISSIONS. COST OR QUANTITY CONTROL: AN OVERVIEW -- Economic Theory vs. Uncertainty -- A Stark Choice or a Policy Continuum? -- A flexible emissions cap -- A flexible carbon tax -- Limits of the policy continuum -- POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES OF A CARBON TAX -- Economic Efficiency -- Basis for the argument -- Underpinnings of the argument -- Relative flatness of benefits curve? -- Relative steepness of the marginal cost curve? -- Short-term time frame -- Only cost uncertainty is considered -- Modeled efficiency gains -- Economic efficiency versus precaution -- Price Stability -- Tax Revenue Applications -- Potential Implementation Advantages -- Transparency -- Administrative Issues -- Policy Modification -- POTENTIAL DISADVANTAGES -- Uncertain Emissions -- Political Feasibility -- What's in a Name? -- THE ROLE OF COMMITTEE JURISDICTION -- Support from industry? -- Support from environmental groups? -- Consideration of International Efforts and Cooperation -- Coordination with existing international efforts -- Maximizing participation -- International implementation concerns -- IMPLEMENTATION OF A CARBON TAX -- Point of Taxation -- Where to impose a carbon tax? -- THE 1993 ENERGY OR BTU TAX -- CO2 emissions or All GHG emissions? -- Which emissions sources to control? -- Level of Taxation -- Tax based on estimates of costs and benefits117 -- Social cost of carbon estimates -- Applying social cost of carbon estimates -- Tax based on meeting an emissions target -- Tax Revenue Distribution -- Estimates of tax revenues -- Uses of tax revenues -- Offset reductions in other taxes -- Direct or indirect payments to households -- Provide assistance to carbon-intensive industries -- Fund specific objectives -- Policy considerations of different revenue applications -- Overall costs to society -- Distributional impacts -- Carbon-intensive industries -- Technology development. CONCLUSIONS -- APPENDIX. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -- End Notes -- Chapter 7 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM (EQIP): STATUS AND ISSUES -- SUMMARY -- PROGRAM OVERVIEW -- Eligibility and Program Requirements -- Program Funding -- Subprograms -- Agricultural Water Enhancement Program -- Conservation Innovation Grants -- SELECTED ISSUES -- Mandatory Funding Levels -- Unfunded Application Backlog -- Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Waiver -- Measuring EQIP Accomplishments -- End Notes -- CHAPTER SOURCES -- INDEX.
9781611224504
Power resources -- Environmental aspects -- United States. Environmental policy -- United States. Energy policy -- United States.