Umfang:
1 online resource (329 pages)
Ausgabe:
1st ed.
ISBN:
9781439841891
,
9781439841907
Serie:
Public Administration and Public Policy Series
Inhalt:
In an effort to provide greater awareness of the necessary policy decisions facing our elected and appointed officials, Energy Policy in the U.S.: Politics, Challenges, and Prospects for Change presents an overview of important energy policies and the policy process in the United States, including their history, goals, methods of action, and consequences. In the first half of the book, the authors frame the energy policy issue by reviewing U.S. energy policy history, identifying the policy-making players, and illuminating the costs, benefits, and economic and political realities of currently competing policy alternatives. The book examines the stakeholders and their attempts to influence energy policy and addresses the role of supply and demand on the national commitment to energy conservation and the development of alternative energy sources. The latter half of the book delves into specific energy policy strategies, including economic and regulatory options, and factors that influence energy policies, such as the importance of international cooperation. Renewed interest in various renewable and nontraditional energy resources-for example, hydrogen, nuclear fusion, biomass, and tide motion-is examined, and policy agendas are explored in view of scientific, economic, regulatory, production, and environmental constraints. This book provides excellent insight into the complex task of creating a comprehensive energy policy and its importance in the continued availability of energy to power our way of life and economy while protecting our environment and national security
Anmerkung:
Cover -- Half Title -- Series Page -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of Boxes -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- About the Authors -- Introduction -- What Is Energy? -- Structure of the Energy Industry -- Stakeholders in the Energy Policy Network -- What Actions Should We Take? -- Purpose for the Book -- Why an Energy Policy Is Important -- Energy and Economic Growth -- Energy Policy and Public Opinion -- Structure of the Book -- Part 1: The Challenges in Crafting U.S. Energy Policy -- Part 2: Policies for Energy Transition -- PART 1 THE CHALLENGES IN CRAFTING U.S. ENERGY POLICY -- 1 The Political Realities of Energy Policy -- Demystifying Energy Policy -- An Example: Coal, from Mine to Furnace -- A Good Fuel for Generating Electricity -- A Big Footprint -- The Rankine Cycle Process -- Understanding the Scale of Energy -- Conversion Processes Needed -- Why Worry about These Conversions? -- The Economic Perspective -- The Function of Energy Policy -- Unexpected Influence of Nonenergy Policies -- Why Does the United States Use so Much Energy? -- Factors Influencing U.S. Energy Use -- Sources of Our Preferences -- Encouraging Energy Trends -- The U.S. Energy Sector -- Energy in Contemporary Society -- Energy as a Business -- Public Utilities -- Need for a New Business Model -- Energy in Commerce and Industry -- Energy and the Consumer -- Help for Low-Income Families -- Energy and Agriculture -- Conclusion: Energy out of Balance -- 2 Energy Policy in Transition -- Early Climate Research -- The Threat of Climate Change -- Forecasts, Energy, and Creating the Future -- Why Forecasts Are Necessary -- New Planning Tools -- Confusion over Peak Oil -- Lower Amounts Predicted -- Transitioning from Peak Production -- Climate Change: Challenges and Policy Goals -- High GHG Emissions Levels Continue
,
2003 to 2007: A Comprehensive Energy Policy Finally Emerges -- The Energy Policy Act of 2005 -- Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 -- New CAFE Standards -- 2008 to 2009: A Renewed Call for Energy Independence -- 2010 and Beyond: Energy Efficiency, Conservation, and the Environment -- The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) -- The Evolution of Fuel Efficiency Standards -- Conclusion: A History of Crisis and Change -- 5 Difficulties in Achieving a Balanced Energy Policy -- Why Intervene in Energy? -- The Principal-Agent Problem -- Multiple Stakeholders -- Art of the Compromise -- Stakeholders in Forming Energy Policy -- The Energy Scope Challenge -- Energy Stakeholder Policy Preferences -- Focus on Supply -- Focus on Demand -- Focus on National Security -- Focus on the Environment -- Widely Different Perspectives -- Difficulty Showing Links -- Ambiguous and Conflicting Policy Goals -- Setting National Goals -- Strategic Limitations -- The Nature of Energy Policy Interventions -- Complex and Unwieldy Interventions -- The FutureGen Program -- Need to Rethink Energy Subsidies -- Problems with Biofuels -- Can We Afford All Planned Energy Programs? -- The Innovators: States, Regions, Compacts -- Regional GHG Initiatives Underway -- Contentious State-Federal Relationships -- Sharing Responsibility -- Environmental Policy, Energy Policy, and Politics II -- The Climate Change Challenge -- Conclusion: A Complex, Interrelated Energy Policy Result -- 6 What's on the Current Energy Policy Agenda? -- Climate Change and the U.S. Economy -- The Future Role of Nuclear Energy -- Concern about Our Reliance on Imported Oil -- Issues to Address Immediately -- Renewables and Conservation Policy Issues -- Tackling the Major Agenda Issues -- Changing Energy Investment Strategies -- Major Investments in Smart Grid Technologies -- Access to Federal Lands
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Conclusion: Role of Interventions in Energy Policy -- 9 International Cooperation on Energy Policy -- Global Energy: Sources, Consumption, Inequities -- States, Realists, and Idealists -- Regimes and Global Environmental and Energy Governance -- Global Energy Regimes and Regional Energy Institutions -- International Influences on U.S. Energy Policy -- The International Energy Agency -- Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Energy Working Group -- North American Energy Working Group -- International Energy Forum -- Other International Energy Organizations -- Meeting Europe's Growing Demand for Electricity -- Global Cooperation on Greenhouse Gas Reduction -- The Kyoto Protocol -- Cooperating on Cap and Trade Agreements -- The Voluntary Carbon Offset System -- The Compliance Carbon Offset System -- Reducing Carbon Emissions: REDD and Carbon Sinks -- Evaluating Carbon Offset Programs -- The Verdict on Kyoto -- The Copenhagen Accord -- Challenges to Global Action on Climate -- Conclusion: Influences of Global Cooperation on U.S. Energy Policy -- 10 Policies for a New Energy Future -- The Energy Options Portfolio -- Carbon Taxes on Fossil Fuels -- The Challenges Facing Policy Makers -- Challenge I: Politics -- Challenge II: The Inertia of the Energy System -- Challenge III: Energy Supply -- Challenge IV: Overcoming Environmental Barriers to Renewables -- Challenge V: Energy Behaviors and Increasing Energy Efficiency -- Making the Tough Choices -- Nuclear Power -- Conflict over Two Underlying Issues -- Coal and Carbon Capture and Storage -- Access to Public Lands and the Continental Shelf -- Greenhouse Gas Leakage Problem -- What Are Sensible Policy Criteria? -- Conclusion: The Recurring Issue of Local Control -- 11 Aftermath of the Gulf Oil Spill: Prospects for Policy Changes -- Policy Failure and the Gulf Oil Spill -- Problems Regulating the Energy Industry
,
Is Carbon Capture and Storage Viable? -- EPA Regulatory Authority -- Failure to Produce a Global Climate Treaty -- What's on the Periphery of the Energy Agenda? -- A Need for More Cost-Effective Biofuels -- Natural Gas Back on the Agenda -- Conclusion: Sorting out the Energy Agenda -- PART 2 POLICIES FOR ENERGY TRANSITION -- 7 Crafting Policy with Subsidies and Regulations -- The Nature of Government Interventions -- The Importance of Subsidies -- Subsidy Categories -- Nuclear Power Subsidies -- Risky Business -- Tax Expenditure Interventions -- An Incomplete Portrait -- Problems Financing Renewable Energy Projects -- Policy Challenges of Tax Subsidies -- Energy Research and Development -- A Major Presidential Theme -- The DOE's Spotty Record of Success -- Federal Regulation of the Energy Sector -- Early Requirements for Federal Agencies -- Regulation as Command and Control -- Limitations of Regulation -- Political Implications of Regulation -- Appliance Efficiency Standards and Energy Star -- EPA's Energy Star Program -- Criticism of Energy Star -- Energy Interventions for Households: LIHEAP -- Additional Programs for Households -- Conclusion: The U.S. Energy Policy Blunderbuss -- 8 Policies Shaped by Taxes and Market Mechanisms -- Federal Energy Fees and Taxes -- Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and Related Fees -- Federal Gasoline Taxes -- Direct User Charges -- The Carbon Challenge -- Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade -- What Is the Most Important Variable? -- The Primary Disadvantages of a Carbon Tax -- The Cap and Trade Option -- A Market-Based Approach -- Advantages and Disadvantages -- Choosing the Best Option -- Renewable Portfolio Standards -- Meeting Requirements with Wind Energy -- Impacts of These Programs -- Measuring Performance -- Prospects for National Application -- Feed-in Tariffs -- The FIT Experience in Germany
,
Limited Policy Options
,
The Challenge -- the Response -- A Supreme Challenge -- Who Is Responsible? -- Thinking in Wedges -- The Stern Review and Its Aftermath -- The Social Cost of Carbon -- Why the Discrepancy? -- The Ethics Question -- The Equity Question -- The Carbon Price Debate -- Arcane Issues with Global Ramifications -- How High to Price Carbon? -- Conclusion: Climate Implications for Energy Policy -- 3 The Art and Science of Crafting Public Policy -- Policy Making in Action -- The Evolution of U.S. Political Culture -- A New Conception of the State -- Emerging Themes -- Congress and Its Influence on Policy -- The Battle for Control -- Pluralism, Elites, Triangles, and Networks -- The Role of Technical Experts in Policy Making -- Shifting Models of Government Power -- A New Approach: The Policy Network -- Two Additional Policy Models -- The Multiple Streams Framework -- Policy Design and Social Construction -- Constructions Are Not Fixed -- The System: Weakened, but Still Functioning-for Now -- Framing the Energy Policy Issue -- Worrisome Trends -- Visible Lack of Consensus -- A More Divisive Nation -- Subtext of the Framing Issue -- A Glimmer of Optimism -- Hard to Generate Citizen Involvement -- Needed: A New Way of Thinking about Policy -- Occurring at the Local Level -- The U.S. Policy Space: Today and the Near Tomorrow -- Meeting the Needs of an Aging Society -- Structural Deficits and Entitlements -- A Shifting U.S. Economy -- Conclusion: A Rough Terrain Ahead -- 4 The Long Search for a Sustainable Energy Policy -- The History of U.S. Energy Policy since 1945 -- 1945 to 1970: Managing an Energy Surplus -- 1971 to 1980: Coping with Energy Shortages -- 1981 to 1990: Deregulating the Industry -- 1991 to 1999: Calls for a Comprehensive Energy Policy -- 2000 to 2002: Linking Energy and National Security -- War, Politics, and Energy Security
Weitere Ausg.:
Print version Geri, Laurance R. Energy Policy in the U. S Baton Rouge : Taylor & Francis Group,c2011 ISBN 9781439841891
Sprache:
Englisch
Schlagwort(e):
Electronic books
URL:
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