Congress at a Climate Crossroads

Author: Myer Jei Johnson-Potter

Description

This thesis explores legislative pathways for achieving decarbonization in the United States, focusing on policies that can successfully pass through Congress amid political uncertainty. It primarily analyzes two major approaches: economy-wide carbon pricing proposals, such as a carbon fee and dividend, and federal emissions reduction policies for the power sector, including Clean Energy/Electricity Standards (CES) and Tradable Performance Standards (TPS). The analysis evaluates the projected climate mitigation potential, economic and distributional impacts, and political feasibility of each pathway, including the use of budget reconciliation. The paper ultimately recommends prioritizing a CES/TPS in the short- term while acknowledging the long-term necessity of a comprehensive carbon price.

Awards

2021 John Dunlop Undergraduate Thesis Prize Honorable Mention