taxes

small modular reactor

In contrast to large nuclear reactors, which have enormous components that are shipped to and assembled at the site where they will operate, SMRs will be assembled in a factory.[read more]

Stefan Ataman / Shutterstock.com

Several states are proposing a gas tax on vehicles produced in 2015 or later that get 55 miles per gallon or more. Cars like the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf will incur this per-mile fee.[read more]

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The Smart Grid engenders an evolution from centralized generation to distributed energy resources (DER) that has profound impacts on business models and operations. Technology is one of the drivers of this evolution.[read more]

While the White House talks again about raising taxes on oil and natural gas companies, let’s look at the starkly different outcomes – in terms of revenue for government – from two policy paths.[read more]

 Today marks the end of the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit, wrapping up a 3-day collection of America’s best, brightest, and most innovative clean energy thinkers and companies.  The discussions varied, but the underlying theme was straightforward: how can the United States accelerate and spur clean energy innovation. During...[read more]

Recently it was announced that Range Fuels has gone into foreclosure, thus marking the official end of their story. For all practical purposes, the company has been finished since early 2011, but the foreclosure puts an end to the notion that they will yet rise triumphant from the ashes. Last week, Heather Duncan — a reporter for The...[read more]

Most of the current 18.4 cents per gallon federal gasoline tax is set to expire at the end of September, and there are some indications that it may become the occasion for the next big political fight in Congress. See Politico and Platts for background. Grover Nordquist, of Americans for Tax Reform, says a vote to keep the current...[read more]

The State of Ohio on Wednesday took a big step toward lowering the barriers to entry for building/installing renewable energy facilities across the state. Governor Ted Strickland issued an Executive Order eliminating the state’s tangible personal tax and real property tax for advanced and renewable energy project facilities. The move...[read more]

The joke goes, The economy is so bad Exxon Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.  If only. Turns out the economy is never really bad for the oil giant, and the last thing they would want to do is cut off support to members of Congress who allow them to pull off the remarkable trick of making $45 billion in profits last year but paying no...[read more]

After reading several articles about the administration's proposed 2011 fiscal-year budget, I decided to look through the figures myself. My primary interest was in finding indications of what might lie in store for energy-related taxes and incentives. However, once I noticed how the projected deficits accumulate and examined the...[read more]

This Week in Nuclear Episode #78 – MP3 File In this episode of This Week in Nuclear I interview Joseph Somsel, the author of “How Taxes Pervert Our Energy Choices”.  Our discussion covered a wide range of topics including: How favorably short depreciation schedules for wind have created a “gold mine” for investors,...[read more]

I have to give Greg Mankiw credit. Since the last time he discussed the climate legislation making its way through the Congress (an effort with which I was none too pleased) he seems to have taken some of my criticisms to heart. In his column in today’s Times, he acknowledges that blame for many or most of the bill’s imperfections can...[read more]

Many commenters in the toll technology post are asking what the point of a vehicle miles traveled tax would be. Several things to note. First, as I mentioned in the original post, this technology might also make it easier to do congestion tolling, which would be of enormous economic and environmental benefit. Second, I think we should...[read more]

Last week ago today I received an email via my Congresswoman Virginia Foxx’s email distribution list. The subject was “Solving our energy crisis without destroying North Carolina jobs.” The point of the piece is to argue against the cap-and-trade regulatory scheme of the energy bill currently being debated in Congress. I find the...[read more]

From the Christian Science Monitor, via Yahoo!: Remember last summer, when gas prices broke new records every day and the era of "energy independence" was on the horizon? Gas is half what it was then, but not for long. When OPEC's planned production cuts hit, tightening the global supply of oil just when economies are poised to resume...[read more]