PUBLICATIONS BY Nicolas Loris
Commentary
Research
2009 Commentary
July 30, 2009
An Inconvenient Tariff
By Nick Loris
The current cap-and-trade debate is generating a lot of noise in the United States. Much of that noise is coming from the halls of Congress, where phone lines are ringing off the hook from citizens expressing their support, but mostly expressing their disapproval, of the U.S. Clean Energy and Security Act passed in the House of Representatives on June 26.
June 30, 2009
Smoke gets in your ice
By Nick Loris
Many Americans find the debate in Washington over adopting a "cap-and-trade" program to reduce carbon dioxide a bit confusing. That's understandable. Put simply, it's a tax on energy consumption. In fact, it would be a huge tax. If enacted, cap-and-trade would be one of the government's largest revenue sources within the next decade.
April 06, 2009
A tax by any other name
By Nick Loris
Many Americans find the debate in Washington over adopting a "cap and trade" program to reduce carbon dioxide a bit confusing. That's understandable. Put simply, it's a tax on energy consumption.
2008 Commentary
August 04, 2008
Uranium mining: Securing America's energy future
By Jack Spencer and Nick Loris
What does uranium have in common with Arctic oil, off-shore natural gas, coastal wind and cellulosic ethanol? They're all sources of energy that government bureaucrats have declared off-limits _ needlessly.
April 23, 2008
N-power is a fix for Utah energy woes
By Jack Spencer
Coined the Beehive State 160 years ago, Utah connects its beloved symbol with hard-working industry and pioneer virtues of thrift and perseverance. Considering the likely impact of Gov. Jon Huntsman's energy initiative, Utahns will need every bit of those legendary traits.
February 07, 2008
Nuclear energy: Power play
By Jack Spencer and Nicolas Loris
Maryland's Allegheny Energy recently mailed two compact fluorescent light bulbs to each of its customers. Imagine the indignation when those customers noticed a $12 charge for the unsolicited mailing.
2009 Research
November 03, 2009
Boxer-Kerry Cap-and-Trade Bill's Nuclear Provision Won't Fuel a Nuclear Revival
By Jack Spencer and Nicolas D. Loris
(Backgrounder #2335)
America needs a clean, safe, and sustainable energy source. Nuclear power could be part of the solution -- with the right set of free-market reforms. Congress, the nuclear industry, and many Americans agree that reform of U.S. nuclear policies is necessary, but cannot agree on what those reforms should look like. The nuclear provision in the Senate's new Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act is a nice nod to nuclear power, but leaves the waters muddied.
August 28, 2009
Waxman-Markey's Effect on Gas Prices in Your State
By Nick Loris and Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #2598)
The Waxman–Markey energy bill, which would restrict greenhouse gas emissions by creating a cap-and-trade system, was passed by the House in June and will likely be considered by the Senate soon.
August 19, 2009
Impact of the Waxman–Markey Climate Change Legislation on the States
By David Kreutzer, Ph.D., Karen Campbell, Ph.D., William W. Beach, Ben Lieberman, and Nicolas D. Loris
(WebMemo #2585)
The 1,500-page cap-and-trade climate legislation, also known as Waxman-Markey, passed by a narrow margin late in the day on June 26. Cap and trade is nothing more than a massive energy tax that will raise prices and destroy jobs, and no state can escape the economic perils it causes.
August 06, 2009
The Economic Consequences of Waxman-Markey: An Analysis of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
By David W. Kreutzer, Ph.D., Karen A. Campbell, Ph.D., William W. Beach, Ben Lieberman, and Nicolas D. Loris
(Center for Data Analysis Report #09-04)
The Waxman-Markey bill proposes a new national tax of historic proportions. Though levied directly on carbon-based energy, the tax's impact spreads through the economy, increasing prices, reducing income, destroying jobs, and significantly expanding the national debt. It seeks to "level the playing field" by making a more competitive player weaker rather than ensuring an environment where less competitive players can become stronger.
August 05, 2009
Cash for Clunkers: Just Spinning Wheels
By James L. Gattuso and Nicolas D. Loris
(WebMemo #2579)
Despite its popularity, the cash-for-clunkers program is no success--unless success is defined as spending a lot of money quickly.
July 20, 2009
Nuclear Waste: Do Not Rule Out Yucca Mountain Just Yet, Says House of Representatives
By Jack Spencer and Nicolas D. Loris
(WebMemo #2549)
The Senate should follow the House's lead and ensure that Secretary Chu's blue-ribbon commission on nuclear waste be compelled to consider all waste disposition alternatives, including Yucca Mountain.
July 20, 2009
Cap and Trade: A Comparison of Cost Estimates
By Nicolas D. Loris
(WebMemo #2550)
Three major analyses of the Waxman-Markey climate bill confirm that cap and trade will produce an economy that will perform well under its potential.
July 08, 2009
Cap and Trade Sold under False Pretenses
By Nicolas Loris and Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #2528)
Cap and trade is nothing more than a massive energy tax, which is why it has been sold under false pretenses.
June 24, 2009
CBO Grossly Underestimates Cost of Cap and Trade
By David Kreutzer, Ph.D., Karen Campbell, Ph.D., and Nicolas D. Loris
(WebMemo #2503)
The CBO analysis of Waxman-Markey fails to take into account all the adverse effects that will ripple through the U.S. economy if cap and trade becomes law.
June 10, 2009
Cap and Trade: A Handout for Corporations and a Huge Tax on Consumers
By Nicolas Loris and Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #2476)
Waxman-Markey has evolved into a corporate welfare program for businesses interested in protecting their bottom lines, making it that much more painful for the energy consumer.
June 09, 2009
Five Free Market Priorities for a Nuclear Energy Renaissance
By Jack Spencer and Nicolas Loris
(WebMemo #2475)
When it comes to nuclear energy, policymakers should reject the subsidies-first mentality that permeates most current thinking and instead focus on the following five free market priorities.
June 08, 2009
Questions on EPA's Cost Estimates for Waxman-Markey Climate Change Legislation
By David Kreutzer, Ph.D., and Nicolas Loris
(WebMemo #2470)
The EPA's conclusion that Americans will be better shielded from the pain of capping carbon by Waxman-Markey draft legislation is fantasy. Two major independent model analyses of the legislation have already confirmed this reality.
May 14, 2009
Capping Carbon Emissions Is Bad, No Matter How You Slice the Revenue
By Nicolas Loris and Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #2443)
Cap and trade or any variant thereof would be a drag on the U.S. economy at a time when it can afford it the least.
April 23, 2009
Five Reasons the EPA Should Not Attempt to Deal with Global Warming
By Ben Lieberman and Nicolas D. Loris
(WebMemo #2407)
Using the Clean Air Act to regulate CO2 would harm everyone who uses energy, especially the poor--all for a change in the Earth's temperature too small to ever notice.
April 02, 2009
The 2009 Energy Bill: Anti-Market and Anti-Consumer
By Nicolas Loris and Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #2378)
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 offers nothing more than subsidies and mandates for unsuccessful, unproven energy sources coupled with taxes on reliable energy sources.
March 27, 2009
Three Mile Island and Chernobyl: What Went Wrong and Why Today's Reactors Are Safe
By Jack Spencer and Nick Loris
(WebMemo #2367)
This Saturday marks the 30th anniversary of the partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor. This occasion is a good time to consider the advances in nuclear power safety since that time and discuss the misinformation about this incident.
March 25, 2009
Obama's Energy Budget: More Taxes, Higher Prices
By Nicolas Loris and Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #2361)
Obama's Energy Budget: More Taxes, Higher Prices
March 11, 2009
No Cost Stimulus Expands Energy Supply and Creates Jobs
By Nicolas Loris and Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #2336)
The No Cost Stimulus Act of 2009 would open up resources and streamline regulatory, environmental and judicial review processes to provide a real stimulus to the economy without huge costs to the American taxpayer.
February 20, 2009
Another Bailout for Detroit Automakers Would Throw Good Money After Bad
By Nicolas Loris
(WebMemo #2306)
It is no surprise that GM and Chrysler are already asking for more money, and it certainly won’t be surprising if they come knocking back for more. But these bailouts provide no incentive to truly formulate a plan for long-term sustainability.
January 15, 2009
Key Questions for Ken Salazar, Nominee for Department of Interior
By Nicolas Loris and Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #2224)
The U.S. Senate will soon render its advice and consent on the nomination of Ken Salazar for Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. When considering Salazar for this post, the Senate may want to ask him the following questions.
2008 Research
November 16, 2008
The Detroit Bailout: Unsafe at Any Cost
By James L. Gattuso and Nicolas D. Loris
(WebMemo #2133)
Should Washington bail out the Big Three automakers? A far better approach is to restructure through a formal bankruptcy process if necessary. Bankruptcy—and the prospect of it—would provide both the incentive and means for making the hard and painful choices that Detroit needs to make.
November 14, 2008
Omnibus Lands Bill Restricts Energy Exploration
By Nicolas D. Loris
(WebMemo #2130)
The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008 would result in a huge expansion in ownership of land in the United States. This would restrict access to energy and limit economic opportunity at a time when the nation should be increasing domestic supply.
November 10, 2008
Washington Subsidies Not Necessary to Rebuild U.S. Nuclear Industry
By Jack Spencer and Nicolas D. Loris
(Backgrounder #2207)
The private sector has already begun to invest in the nuclear industry without federal government subsidies. Congress should take steps that promote industrial independence, not create dependency that is inherently incompatible with long-term business planning. The federal government should concentrate on establishing a regulatory environment that is conducive to commercial nuclear growth, overhauling the spent nuclear fuel management regime, and opening foreign markets.
September 26, 2008
House Tax Extenders Bill Is Bad for Business and the Economy
By Rea S. Hederman, Jr., and Nicolas Loris
(WebMemo #2084)
The tax extenders legislation that passed the House 257–166 on September 26 has significant problems. The tax cuts and increased spending in the bill are being offset by tax increases on businesses. There are also hidden costs in the bill that will likely increase deficits in future years. Elements of the bill that raise taxes, increase the deficit, or complicate the tax code should be eliminated.
September 11, 2008
Putting the Brakes on the Automaker Bailout
By James L. Gattuso and Nicolas D. Loris
(WebMemo #2060)
Having the government, and ultimately the taxpayer, finance a transition to more fuel efficient cars is simply bad policy rooted in election-year politics. Policymakers should slam on the brakes to avoid this hazard.
September 08, 2008
Grading the Gang of 10's Nuclear Energy Proposal
By Jack Spencer and Nicolas Loris
(WebMemo #2053)
Although the Gang of 10's energy plan has been subject to a great deal of criticism, they should be applauded for their bipartisan efforts to restore the nuclear energy industry in the U.S. But it is important to distinguish the good nuclear policy from the bad. Overall, the G-16 proposals need improvement.
July 28, 2008
Energy Policy: Let's Not Repeat the Mistakes of the '70s
By Ben Lieberman and Nicholas D. Loris
(WebMemo #2004)
America is currently facing energy challenges reminiscent of the 1970s. Unfortunately, rising gas prices have policymakers repeating the mistakes from that decade-mistakes that took a bad situation and made it worse.
July 02, 2008
Nuclear Energy: What We Can Learn From Other Nations
By Nicolas Loris and Jack Spencer
(WebMemo #1977)
With energy supplies at a premium, it's even more imperative that the U.S. look overseas for ideas on how to use nuclear energy safely and economically.
June 19, 2008
Critics of Nuclear Power's Costs Miss the Point
By Jack Spencer and Nick Loris
(WebMemo #1961)
Carbon-capping legislation and recent studies that conclude that a massive build-up of nuclear power is needed to minimize the negative economic impact of CO2 caps have spurred several high-profile articles on the costs of nuclear energy. One such article notes that estimated construction costs for nuclear power plants and the overall costs of nuclear power have increased significantly since 2000 and espouses wind power, solar power, and energy efficiency as alternatives to new nuclear plants.
May 22, 2008
Effect of the Lieberman-Warner Global Warming Legislation on States
By William W. Beach, Ben Lieberman, David W. Kreutzer, Ph.D., and Nicolas D. Loris
(WebMemo #1930)
Workers and families in the United States may be wondering how climate change legislation before Congress will affect their income, their jobs, and the cost of energy. Members of Congress are considering a number of bills designed to address climate change.
May 15, 2008
Time to Repeal the Ethanol Mandate
By Ben Lieberman and Nicolas Loris
(WebMemo #1925)
Though intended to help consumers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the ethanol mandate has done just the opposite, contributing to high food and gas prices with little environmental benefit. Representative Jeff Flake (R–AZ) has introduced H.R. 5911, the Remove Incentives for Producing Ethanol Act of 2008, which would eliminate the mandate and other benefits for ethanol, and other measures may soon be introduced.
May 12, 2008
The Economic Costs of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Change Legislation
By William W. Beach, David W. Kreutzer, Ph.D., Ben Lieberman, and Nicolas D. Loris
(Center for Data Analysis Report #08-02)
The Lieberman-Warner climate change bill is, in many respects, an unprecedented proposal. Its limits on CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions would impose significant costs on virtually the entire American economy, and complicated tariff rules, dependent on evaluating the GHG restrictions of all trading partners, add another unknowable dimension to the costs, fueling the overall uncertainty.
May 01, 2008
Yucca Mountain Remains Critical to Spent Nuclear Fuel Management
By Jack Spencer and Nicolas Loris
(Backgrounder #2131)
Nuclear energy can be clean, safe, and affordable, but managing spent nuclear fuel has been a political sticking point for the advancement of nuclear energy in the United States. Yucca Mountain is crucial to resolving the issue of spent nuclear fuel, but a more practical and comprehensive approach would include a combination of interim storage, recycling, and geological storage.
March 25, 2008
Uranium Mining Is Important for Securing America's Energy Future
By Jack Spencer and Nick Loris
(WebMemo #1866)
As nuclear power expands, it will be critical that uranium resources are accessible when mining can be done in a safe and economical way.
February 26, 2008
EPA Should Not Increase the Ozone Regulation Burden
By Nick Loris and Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #1827)
The EPA's proposal would hurt the economy and offers only marginal health benefits at best.
2007 Research
December 18, 2007
Omnibus Prohibits Oil Shale Development
By Nick Loris
(WebMemo #1754)
Spending bills should not include policy riders that stand in the way of U.S. energy independence.
December 17, 2007
Ethanol Loses Ground at U.N. Climate Conference: Congress Should Rethink Energy Bill Mandate
By Nicolas Loris and Alison Acosta Fraser
(WebMemo #1750)
Ethanol mandates come at a steep price and will not solve energy and environmental problems.
December 03, 2007
Dispelling Myths About Nuclear Energy
By Jack Spencer and Nicolas Loris
(Backgrounder #2087)
Anti-nuclear activists managed to stop the nuclear industry once before, but nuclear energy is too important to America for this to be allowed to happen again. Despite activists’ attempts to mislead the public with inaccurate or irrelevant information, nuclear energy is a proven, viable, economical, and environmentally sound solution to U.S. energy needs and legislative carbon constraints.
November 14, 2007
Congress Should Not Overlook Benefits of Nuclear Energy
By Jack Spencer and Nick Loris
(WebMemo #1704)
Congress should opt for market-based policies that do not force specific technologies on American energy consumers.
November 20, 2009
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feeds