Prepared for the United Nations Environment Programme under the auspices of the Economics and Trade Branch's Working Group on Economic Instruments. 2004.
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
This paper proposes two changes that I believe will make Tsunami relief efforts more effective. The first moves the detailed logistics system of the UN relief coordinator into the public domain. The objective of this change is to establish increased ability for outside groups to provide technology and data; to ensure more rapid access to updated information for all working in the region; and for increasing donor confidence in how the relief effort is being run.
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).
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).