Democratic senator Joe Manchin voted for the “Inflation Reduction Act” because, in a side deal, Senate Majority Leader Schumer agreed to a later bill (to be brought up this month). Supposedly, that agreement would relax environmental reviews of fossil fuel projects such as Western Virginia’s Mountain Valley Pipeline. But, as we reported earlier, Democrats may…
Don’t Export Oil, Says Energy Secretary Granholm. After All, We Need It Here.
In an ironic move (although there are many such ironies these days) Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm has written to seven large U.S. oil refiners asking them to hold back on their exports because fuel is needed in the U.S. East Coast. “But, Granholm has done nothing to help oil companies and refineries to be…
New Jersey Bans Paper Bags—But Reusable Cloth Bags Pile Up Unused
Like a growing number of states, New Jersey has banned single-use plastic bags. But it also bans paper bags. One result: Delivery companies are using heavy-duty reusable bags—but their online customers aren’t reusing them. To meet the letter of the law, delivery companies like Instacart stopped using paper bags and switched to reusable cloth bags…
Was Environmental Policy Worth It?
Economist Timothy Taylor reports on a study of the past 50 years of environmental policies. The news is generally upbeat. “Have the reductions in pollution been worth it? he asks. “Economists have sought to itemize and monetize the costs and benefits of environmental rules. The studies can be controversial, as one might expect.” (It’s hard…
Three Western States Don’t Want More Natural Gas from Canada
Why? It would make it harder to meet their carbon-dioxide emission goals, say Oregon, California, and Washington officials. Alex Baumhardt writes in the Idaho Capital Sun that TC Energy, a Canadian company, asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in October 2021 if it could increase natural gas delivery by the Gas Transmission Northwest Express…