Each week, we review the papers, studies, reports, and briefings posted at the “indispensable” RFF Library Blog, curated by RFF Librarian Chris Clotworthy.
This paper provides a detailed explanation how the law of the World Trade Organization regulates environmental subsidies with a focus on renewable energy subsidies. The paper begins by discussing the economic justifications for such subsidies and the criticisms of them and then gives examples of categories of subsidies. The paper provides an overview of the relevant World Trade Organization rules and case law, including the recent Canada-Renewable Energy case. The paper also makes specific recommendations for how World Trade Organization law can be improved and discusses the literature on reform proposals. The study finds that because of a lack of clarity in World Trade Organizaion rules, for some clean energy subsidies, a government will not know in advance whether the subsidy is World Trade Organization-legal. – via World Bank / by Steve Charnovitz
The ability to accurately calculate the value of solar can be a useful tool for helping to integrate increasing amounts of distributed solar PV onto the grid. It’s also a critical tool that can help utilities, regulators and stakeholders make rational planning decisions and design effective incentives as they integrate distributed energy with the century-old power grid. – via ICF / by Steve Fine, et al. [Free download with registration]
[US News & World Report] Oil and gas wells across the country are spewing “dangerous” cancer-causing chemicals into the air, according to a new study that further corroborates reports of health problems around hydraulic fracturing sites. “This is a significant public health risk,” says Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany-State University of New York and lead author of the study, which was published Thursday in the journal Environmental Health. “Cancer has a long latency, so you’re not seeing an elevation in cancer in these communities. But five, 10, 15 years from now, elevation in cancer is almost certain to happen.” – via Environmental Health (2014, v13 p82+; doi:10.1186/1476-069X-13-82) / by David O. Carpenter, et al.
[Binghamton University Press Release] The numbers in neat columns tell — column by column, page by page — a story spread out across Carmen Carrión-Flores’ desk at Binghamton University. It’s a great story, she says; she just doesn’t know how it ends. Yet. This is what she sees: People pay extra for an Energy Star home, expecting its greater energy efficiency will save money. They apparently plan to recoup the extra cost of purchase by passing it along to the next owner. Except they don’t, Carrión-Flores says. “People who pay a premium expect increased value,” the environmental economist says. “Developers are selling houses at a premium, but when I analyze the repeat sale, the owners are not selling at a premium.” – via University of Binghamton | Stanford University | Brigham Young University / by Carmen Carrion-Flores, et al.
Potential Reliability Impacts of EPA’s Proposed Clean Power Plan
[Bloomberg] The Obama administration’s plan to cut carbon emissions threatens the nation’s electricity supply by forcing old coal plants to shut before replacement power is in place, the group that oversees the U.S. electric system said. The North American Electric Reliability Corp., a nonprofit that assures adequate voltage and power reserves to keep the electric grid functioning, urged the Environmental Protection Agency to consider delaying the first deadline. “The proposed timeline does not provide enough time to develop sufficient resources to ensure continued reliable operation of the electric grid by 2020,” according to the report from the utility-funded regulator scheduled for release today. “More time for implementation may be needed to accommodate reliability enhancements.” – via North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)
