USA

Fueling Global Warming: Federal Subsidies to Oil in the United States

Extremely detailed, widely peer-reviewed, examination of subsidies to oil in the United States throughout every stage of the fuel cycle. Includes plain-language explanations of how different types of subsidy programs operate and why the are valuable to the recipient industries. This is useful background for subsidy policies even outside of the energy arena. The report includes evaluations of tax policies, direct government programs, loan subsidies, leasing arrangements, and post-closure and accident liabilities.

Federal Subsidies to Energy in 2003 - A First Look

Program line review of federal fiscal subsidies to energy for fiscal year 2003, to support the work of the National Commission on Energy Policy.  Aggregate subsidies were worth between $37 and $64 billion to the energy sector.  Analysis includes main tax expenditure and programmatic subsidies.  Time frame of analysis was insufficient to include credit subsidies to energy (via export banks, Rural Utility Service, and Power Marketing Administrations; recently-passed legislation containing energy tax breaks; or energy-related externalities.  Thus, real value of federal

Subsidies in the US Energy Sector: Magnitude, Causes, and Options for Reform

Examines the political drivers behind subsidy proliferation in the US federal system and a variety of options to improve transparency and contestability of the subsidy programs.  Paper contains ballpark values for US federal subsidies by energy type, based on an update of US energy subsidy estimates for 2003 prepared for the National Commission on Energy Policy.  Chapter published in Subsidy Reform and Sustainable Development: Political Economy Aspects, (OECD: Paris, France, 2007).

Biofuels - At What Cost? Government Support for Ethanol and Biodiesel in the United States

Detailed review of state and federal subsidies, prepared for the Global Subsidies Initiative.  Subsidy costs per unit fossil fuel or GHG displaced exceed $500 per mt of CO2-equivalent.  Policy structures are duplicative and generally linked to production rather than to the carbon displacement profile of particular producers.  Faster and more efficient ways to achieve the goals of energy security and greenhouse gas mitigation should be pursued. (October 2006).