The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards have governed automakers’ fleets since 1975when they were devised to prevent a repeat of petroleum shortages caused by the Arab Oil Embargo (’73-’74). While higher fuel economy is a vestigial theme in CAFE, the standard setting process is regularly hijacked by environmental […]
Progress in Cost Effective Sources for Electric Generation
The U.S. is experiencing diminished reliance on electricity generated from fossil fuels (coal, petroleum and natural gas generation) and an increase in reliance on renewables (wind, tide, geothermal, hydroelectric, solar and nuclear). Coal now accounts for just 30% of electric generation. While use of renewables has increases dramatically, only in one state has a renewable […]
Real Clear Energy: Efforts to Ban Silicone Hamper Energy and Environmental Goals
This editorial, by Liam Sigaud, discusses how silicone has a profound impact on Americans’ energy use, including the benefits of energy generation from both wind turbines and solar panels. In fact, about 90 percent of solar panels have at least some silicone components, which act as lubricants, sealants, coatings, and insulators. Silicone compounds are also […]
Washington Examiner: Cash for Coal Cronies: Trump’s Wrongheaded Energy Directive
Trump’s recent decision to force grid operators to buy power from unprofitable coal and nuclear plants at above-market rates has been widely and appropriately criticized as an unjustified, harmful intrusion into America’s energy markets. It may not be hyperbolic to say that Trump’s move constitutes, as The Washington Post editorial board put it, “the most […]
Daily Caller: Unnecessary Regulations On Silicone Could Put Patients In Jeopardy
Thanks to its high performance in a variety of settings, silicone has found its way into thousands of medical devices, from the most mundane to the most sophisticated. You’ve probably never visited a hospital without touching silicone material of some kind — it’s used in medical tape, electronic covers, syringe coatings, IVs, catheters, bed cushions, […]
Daily Caller: Consumers will Bear the Brunt of Trump’s Decision to Support Unprofitable Coal and Nuclear Plants
If you’re looking for an example of a vocal, politically-connected special interest securing government favors, look no further than President Trump’s recent decision to launch an unprecedented intervention into America’s energy markets to rescue failing coal and nuclear power plants. While a small group of energy companies stand to benefit from these subsidies, the rest […]
Coalition Letter: Repeal the Clean Air Act Waiver in California
Today, a coalition sent a letter to the EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, asking the agency to revoke California’s waiver from the Clean Air Act, which allows the state to decouple from Federal policy and impose strict emission standards on automobiles. The letter notes California’s policy has contributed to higher costs for taxpayers and consumers, as […]
ACI in FORBES: Science Does Not Support Continuing California’s Waiver
California leads the nation in imposing anti-consumer policies that pick winners and losers in the marketplace to promote a larger policy agenda. That is certainly the case with the state’s Federal waiver from the Clean Air Act, which allows it to decouple from Federal policy and impose strict emissions standards on automobiles. But the scientific […]
New ACI Program to Measure Cost of Regulatory Waste
How much economic growth is lost by excessive regulation? What are the costs of permit delays? How many jobs are lost due to red tape? Regulatory impediments can substantially hinder opportunities for private enterprise to invest and compete, thereby reducing economic output, impeding private investment, slowing job creation, and raising consumer prices. These hurdles contribute […]
FORBES: Electric Vehicle Goals Ignore Some Scientific Facts and Statistics
With today’s constant discussions surrounding climate change, everyone from politicians to companies are reaching for an easy win — catchy sound bites with short sighted solutions. The latest examples were recent announcements by Volvo and the government of France, both committing to the sole production and use of electric vehicles by 2019 and 2040, respectively. […]
