New Government Report: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Incentives

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs

by Lynn J. Cunningham, Beth A. Roberts
Paperback, 53 pages, 2011, $25.00
ISBN: 1437984533

Recently, there have been growing concerns about the availability and cost of energy and about environmental impacts of fossil energy use, especially global climate change. Those combined concerns have rekindled interest in energy efficiency, energy conservation, and the development and commercialization of renewable energy technologies. This report describes federal programs that provide grants, loans, loan guarantees, and other direct or indirect regulatory incentives for energy efficiency, energy conservation, and renewable energy. For each program, the report provides the administering agency, authorizing statute(s), annual funding, and the program expiration date. Charts and tables.

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New Government Report: Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles

Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles: Issues in Congress
by Brent D. Yacobucci
Paperback, 20 pages, 2010, $20.00
ISBN: 9781437941234

“Alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles are seen as integral to improving urban air quality, decreasing dependence on foreign oil, and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. However, major barriers — especially economics — prevent the widespread use of these fuels and technologies.

Contents of this report: (1) Introduction; (2) Background and Analysis: Fuel Tax Incentives; Ethanol and MTBE; The Renewable Fuel Standard; Ethanol “Blend Wall”; Cellulosic Biofuels; Ethanol Imports; Vehicle Purchase Requirements, and Tax Incentives; Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel; Hydrogen and Fuel Cells; Hybrid Vehicles; (3) Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Technology Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. ”

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New Government Report: Climate Change

Climate Change: Science Highlights
by Jane A. Leggett
Paperback, 21 pages, 2009, $15.00
ISBN: 1437939465

“Contents: (1) Intro.; (2) Observed Warming and Metrics of Climate Change (CC); (3) Attribution of Observed Changes Due to Greenhouse Gases (GG): Human-Related Influences on CC; Trends in Atmospheric Concentrations of GG; GG Emissions and Growth Globally; (4) Impacts of CC: Extent of Arctic Sea Ice Near Lowest Recorded Levels; Melting of Greenland Ice Sheet; Melting and Thickening of Ice in Antarctica; Some Permanent Ice Fields Not Melting; Contributions of Melting Ice and Warming Oceans to Sea Level Rise; Hydrological Changes in the Western U.S.; (5) Without Further GHG Mitigation Policies, GHG Emissions Will Grow; (6) Future Climate Projections; (7) Abrupt “Tipping Points” in the Climate System; Projections of Future Impacts.”

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New Government Report: Carbon Trading

Carbon Trading: Current Situation and Oversight Considerations for Policymakers
by Orice Williams Brown
Paperback, 46 pages, 2010, $25.00
ISBN: 143793997x

“Discusses carbon trading in the U.S. and various design and implementation issues to be considered in discussions about a national carbon trading program. Industrial activities in the U.S. emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases each year, substantially affecting the earth’s climates. Some have suggested capping emissions and allowing them to be traded in secondary markets just as other commodities are traded.

This report provides info. on: (1) carbon-related products currently traded in the U.S. and the extent of trading; (2) risks and challenges posed by these products; (3) the extent to which and how these products are regulated; and (4) issues identified as part of creating a national cap-and-trade carbon market.”

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New Government Report: Climate Change: Design Approaches for a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program

Climate Change: Design Approaches for a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program
by Larry Parker
Paperback, 27 pages, 2008, $20.00
ISBN: 1437928188

Facets of the cost issue that have raised concern regarding a greenhouse gas reduction program include absolute costs to the economy, distribution of costs across industries, competitive impact domestically and internationally, incentives for new technologies, and uncertainty about costs.

Contents of this report: (1) Intro: Price Versus Quantity Debate; (2) Five Dimensions of the Cost Issue; (3) Addressing Cost Concerns: Tonnage Options; Expand Supply Options; Carbon Tax: Economic-Based Circuit Breaker; Technology-Based Timetable: Banking and Borrowing; Auctioning Permits; Safety Valve; (4) Illustrative Approaches; (5) Resolving the Price-Quantity Issue; (6) Selected Options to Address Cost Uncertainty of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programs. Charts and tables.

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New Government Report: U.S. Offshore Oil and Gas Resources: Prospects and Processes (ISBN: 9781437934106)

U.S. Offshore Oil and Gas Resources: Prospects and Processes (ISBN: 9781437934106)
By Marc Humphries, Robert Pirog, Gene Whitney
(Paperback, 29 pages, 2010, $20)

This past week has seen the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico worsen, despite attempts to plug the gushing oil well. Carol M. Browner, President Obama’s climate change and energy policy adviser, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she was concerned about the impact that the hurricane season could have on the continuing environmental crisis.

This report’s contents: (1) Introduction and Background; (2) Legislative Issues; (3) U.S. Oil and Gas Supply and Demand: U.S. Oil, and Natural Gas Markets; Econ. Effects; Greater OCS Access and Supply; (4) Oil and Gas Reserves and Resources in the OCS; Resource Estimates and Technological Change; OCS Resource Estimates; Resource Estimates by Planning Area, and by Water Depth; (5) OCS Leasing Process and Program; (6) OCS Revenues: Revenue Sharing or Not?; Royalty Revenue Estimates; Environmental Concerns Associated with Offshore Exploration and Development; Offshore Areas Currently Protected; General Environmental Regulations and Requirements for Offshore Exploration and Production; (7) Environmental Impact Statements: Oil Spills and Leaks; Seismic Surveys and Industrial Noise. Illustrations.

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New Government Reports: Compulsory DNA Collection, Deforestation and Climate Change, Exon-Florio National Security Trust, Military and Civilian Pay Comparisons, Supreme Court Appointment Process

New government reports this week:

1) Compulsory DNA Collection: A Fourth Amendment Analysis
by Anna C. Henning (Paperback, 15 pages, $10)

Relying on different legal standards, courts have historically upheld laws authorizing law enforcement’s compulsory collection of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as reasonable under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. However, prior cases reviewed the extraction of DNA samples from people who had been convicted on criminal charges. New state and federal laws authorize the collection of such samples from people who have been arrested or detained but
not convicted.

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2) Deforestation and Climate Change
by Ross W. Gorte and Pervaze A. Sheikh (Paperback, 41 pages, $20)

Contents: (I) Congressional Interest; (II) Forests and Climate, Forest Cover, Linkages Between Forests and Climate, Soil Impacts, Wood Utilization/Wood Waste, Burning (III) Boreal Forests (IV) Temperate Forests (V) Tropical Forests in Latin America, including Amazonia; Tropical Africa; Southeast Asia; Climate Consequences of Tropical Deforestation; (VI) Reducing Deforestation: Tree Planting, Market Solutions; Forest Carbon Markets; Markets for Ecosystem Services and Non-Timber Forest Products; Certified Sustainable Forestry; Governance Issues; (VII) Forest and Deforestation Data Issues. Figures and tables.

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3) Exon-Florio National Security Test for Foreign Investment
by James K. Jackson (Paperback, 20 pages, $15)

The Exon-Florio provision grants the President the authority to block proposed or pending foreign acquisitions of “persons engaged in interstate commerce in the U.S.” that threaten to impair the national security.

This provision came under intense scrutiny with the
proposed acquisitions in 2006 of major operations in 6 major U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World and of Unocal by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

The debate that followed reignited long-standing differences among Members of Congress and between the Congress and the administration over the role foreign acquisitions play in U.S. national security.

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4) Military Personnel: Military and Civilian Pay Comparisons Present Challenges and Are One of Many Tools in Assessing Compensation
by Brenda S. Farrell (Paperback, 54 pages, $20)

The Department of Defense’s (DOD) military compensation package, which is myriad pays and benefits, is an important tool to attract and retain the number and quality of active duty servicemembers it needs to fulfill its mission. Compensation can be appropriate and adequate to attract and retain servicemembers when it is competitive with civilian
compensation. However, comparisons between military and civilian compensation present both limitations and challenges.

This study compared pay and benefits provided by law to members of the Armed Forces with that of comparably situated private-sector employees to assess how the differences in pay and benefits affect recruiting and retention of members of the Armed Forces. Tables and figures.

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5) Supreme Court Appointment Process: Roles of the President, Judiciary Committee, and Senate
by Denis Stevens Rutkus (Paperback, 60 pages, $25)

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens recently announced that he will be retiring. How will President Obama select a new Justice? Read more in this report.

Contents: (I) Background; (II) President’s Selection of a Nominee (III) Consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee: Historical Background (IV) Senate Debate and Confirmation Vote; Bringing the Nomination to the Floor; Criteria Used to Evaluate Nominees; Filibusters and Motions to End Debate; Voice Votes, Roll Calls, and Vote Margins; Reconsideration of the Confirmation Vote; Nominations That Failed to Be Confirmed; Calling Upon the Judiciary Committee to Further Examine the Nomination; After Senate Confirmation; (V) Conclusion; (VI) Additional Sources. Tables.

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