Fall 2011 Update: "Ensuring a Clean, Modern Electric Generating Fleet while Maintaining Electric System Reliability"
November 2011
MJB&A and the Analysis Group issued this Fall 2011 update to an earlier analysis, "Ensuring a Clean, Modern Electric Generating Fleet while Maintaining Electric System Reliability," published in August 2010. This is the third installment in a series of reports focusing on the reliability implications of two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) clean air rules affecting the electric power sector: (1) the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (“Transport Rule”) and (2) the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants from coal- and oil-fired electric utility steam generating units (“Utility Toxics Rule”).
Benchmarking Electric Utility Energy Efficiency Portfolios in the U.S.
November 2011
MJB&A authored a report that examines and compares the energy efficiency expenditures and energy savings of a diverse set of electric utility ratepayer-funded energy efficiency portfolios in the United States while highlighting the challenges that face this and similar efforts. Given the current shortcomings of publicly available data, this report should be viewed as an opening statement in an ongoing dialogue over the importance of comparing energy efficiency portfolios and the process for doing so. The report aims to illustrate the importance of energy efficiency as a tool for meeting energy demand, and to create a system to compare utilities based on expenditures and energy savings. The report was funded by a grant from the Energy Foundation.
Comparison of Essential Air Service Program to Coach Bus Service – Keeping Rural Communities Connected
September 2011
M.J. Bradley & Associates authored a report for The ABA Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Reason Foundation, and Taxpayers for America that is the first cost and environmental efficiency study to compare alternative transportation options to the federal Essential Air Service Program.
Summer 2011 Update: Ensuring a Clean, Modern Electric Generating Fleet while Maintaining Electric System Reliability
June 2011
MJB&A and the Analysis Group issued this Summer 2011 update to an earlier analysis, "Ensuring a Clean, Modern Electric Generating Fleet while Maintaining Electric System Reliability," published in August 2010. The Update reaffirms the major conclusion of the prior report that the electric industry can comply with EPA's air pollution rules without threatening electric system reliability provided that EPA, the industry, and other agencies take practical steps to plan for the implementation of these rules and adopt appropriate regulatory approaches.
Chelsea Collaborative: New England Produce Center TRU Electrification
June 2011
MJB&A served as the Project Manager for an electrification project with the Chelsea Collaborative, in cooperation with the New England Produce Center (NEPC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). The project involved replacing ninety (90) diesel-powered transportation refrigeration units (TRU) with electrically-powered units. In addition to replacing the TRUs, this project included installation of the necessary electrical infrastructure to power them.
EPA Ports Call: Harbor Craft Marine Repowers
May 2011
A presentation summarizing marine repower projects in accordance with EPA's New Marine Engine Strategy.
Clean Energy Group Statement on Toxics Rule Testimony
April 2011
This memo summarizes the views of The Clean Energy Group on the Utility Toxics Rule, as conveyed to Congress in a testimony by Michael J. Bradley.
The full testimony can be viewed here.
Control Technologies to Reduce Conventional and Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal-Fired Power Plants
March 2011
Details the proven, commercially available emission control technologies, including scrubbers, baghouses and dry sorbent injection, which will enable coal-fired power plants to comply with two major rules recently proposed by the EPA to control air pollution and protect public health-the Transport Rule and the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards ("Air Toxics Rule").
Task Force on Ensuring Stable Natural Gas Markets
January 2011
M.J. Bradley & Associates LLC (MJB&A) provided technical and consulting support to the Task Force on Ensuring Stable Natural Gas Markets, convened jointly by the Bipartisan Policy Center and American Clean Skies Foundation. The research by MJB&A found that U.S. natural gas price volatility has been systematically higher than natural gas prices in most other markets including other non-energy commodities. Yet a twenty-year process of deregulation and market restructuring, together with robust supply and storage infrastructure, have provided market players with numerous financial and strategic hedging instruments. These instruments, combined with sensible policy to reinforce the strengths of the U.S. market, can minimize the negative economic impacts of price volatility and provide stability amidst increased reliance on natural gas.
The Clean Air Act’s Economic Benefits: Past, Present and Future
October 2010
This report, prepared for Small Business Majority and The Main Street Alliance, demonstrates that the Clean Air Act's economic benefits have far exceeded its costs to businesses. The report also finds that the air law has spurred technological innovations in pollution controls to meet EPA rules that have boosted U.S. exports of environmental control technologies. Between the law's inception in 1970 and significant amendments in 1990, the Clean Air Act produced $22.2 trillion in economic benefits compared a scenario of no air controls. The compliance costs for the same period were $523 billion, a cost-to-benefit ratio of more than 40:1 with net economic benefits of $21.7 trillion.
