Research

Power Play: Political Contributions and Regulatory Capture in the Electric Utility Industry

We compare data from states that allowed public utility donation with states that didn't. Findings suggest that relaxed public utility rules hurt consumers.

Regulation

Regulating Outer Space: Of Gaps, Overlaps, and Stovepipes

This paper looks at our regulatory structure, who regulates outer space, and with what authority. Are there gaps that need to be filled?

Environmental Stewardship

Making Private Lands Count for Conservation: Policy Improvements toward 30×30

How can private land be counted in the 30 x 30 efforts proposed by the Biden Administration? Megan Jenkins and Harrison Naftel explain.

Environmental Stewardship

High West Meets American Prairie

This paper describes how a non-profit and a for-profit business helped save one of the last grassland ecosystems in the world.

Environmental Stewardship

Downwind and Out: The Strategic Dispersion of Power Plants and Their Pollution

This paper examines if coal power plant owners choose locations that reduce their potential exposure to clean air monitoring and regulations.

Immigration

The Economic Impact of Migrants from Hurricane Maria

In this paper, the authors explore Hurricane Maria’s economic effects on native earnings within the Orlando area.

Environmental Stewardship

How Do Federal Lands Impact Local Economies?

This piece reviews the existing literature that measures the economic impacts of various types of federal land on nearby communities.

Federal Policy

Industry Compliance Costs Under the Renewable Fuel Standard: Evidence from Compliance Credits

In this paper, the authors test whether smaller refiners are actually hurt by the RFS. Learn more about the research here.

Environmental Stewardship

Innovations and Decentralized Energy Markets

Regulators should support innovative changes to promote electricity production and consumption, driving ongoing innovation for consumers.

Environmental Stewardship

Leapfrogging Smart Meters

Policymakers should prioritize consumer preferences and innovation instead of imposing specific technologies.

Environmental Stewardship

Qualifying Facility Rates and Requirements

This comment evaluates the likely effects of proposed rule changes on competition in the electricity industry.

Federal Policy

Monumental Debate – What Past Reforms of the Antiquities Act Can Teach Us about Current Controversies

Effective reforms limit executive power in designating national monuments, preserving valuable landscapes and artifacts on federal lands.

Environmental Stewardship

What Is the Relationship between Renewable Portfolio Standards and Electricity Prices?

This research examines the effects of renewable portfolio standards (RPS) on electricity prices. Learn more about the research here.

Environmental Stewardship

A Review of the Environmental Effects of the Renewable Fuel Standard’s Corn Ethanol Mandate

This research explores the environmental consequences of mandating ethanol in greater detail and makes policy recommendations.