GCC Reports & Articles

Reports, Presentations, and Documents

View and download reports, presentations and other documents produced by the Georgetown Climate Center and the initiatives it facilitates. View documents by subject using the tabs below:

States Provide EPA with a Roadmap for Cutting Carbon Pollution

In a letter to the EPA, state environment and energy leaders from 15 states—including midwest and mountain states like Minnesota, Illinois and Colorado—urged the federal agency to allow states to use their broad clean energy and climate approaches to meet upcoming carbon pollution reduction requirements.  They also encouraged the federal agency to develop equitable and measurable standards that will hold states accountable for their progress.

December 16, 2013

Reducing Carbon Emissions in the Power Sector

The Georgetown Climate Center has released a report highlighting successful efforts by states and power companies to reduce carbon pollution from the power sector across the country.

December 5, 2013

Georgetown Climate Center Submits Questions to Support EPA Engagement with States on Carbon Pollution Standards

On August 23, the Georgetown Climate Center submitted a list of questions to EPA urging the agency to seek input on a range of issues as it begins engagement with states and other stakeholders on carbon pollution standards for existing power plants. These questions were developed through discussions with state officials responsible for administering clean energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction programs. 

September 20, 2013

Fact Sheet: Opportunities for States Under EPA Carbon Pollution Standards

The Georgetown Climate Center has developed a document highlighting the opportunities for states under forthcoming EPA carbon pollution standards for existing power plants. Clean Air Act Section 111(d) provides states a significant role in regulating carbon pollution from existing sources, and President Barack Obama has called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to build on the leadership that many states, cities, and companies have already shown in reducing carbon pollution from the power sector.

September 19, 2013

Summary of the Federal District Court’s Order Enjoining California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard

On December 29, 2012, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California granted partial summary judgment to the plaintiffs in Rocky Mountain Farmers Union v. Goldstene, holding that California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) violated the dormant Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution.  The court also granted the plaintiffs a preliminary injunction, prohibiting enforcement of the LCFS until the litigation is completed. 

January 19, 2012

GCC Summary of RGGI Economic Benefits Analysis

An independent report released by the Analysis Group, a private consulting firm, found overall economic gains of more than $1.6 billion from the first three years of the operation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a regional greenhouse gas (GHG) cap-and-trade program implemented by 10 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Georgetown Climate Center summarized key findings from the report.  

November 15, 2011

Issue Brief: EPA's Forthcoming Performance Standards for Regulating GHG Pollution

EPA’s forthcoming regulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from power plants will reduce greenhouse gas pollution and drive cleaner generation in the electricity sector. The flexibility provided to states may also provide an opportunity for states to design programs that address their clean energy goals. This pre-proposal brief provides background information about the law and existing regulations and raises issues that states may want to consider in evaluating EPA’s proposal. States should look to the proposed rule for more information, as EPA’s approach to the regulations remains to be seen.

September 20, 2011

Comparing Legislative Proposals that Restrict the Regulation of Greenhouse Gases

Five proposals have been offered in the 112th Congress to date that would limit or eliminate federal agencies’ and states’ authority to regulate greenhouse gases. The Georgetown Climate Center has developed a side-by-side comparison of all five. Update: None of these proposals were adopted during the budget process.

April 1, 2011

What States Need to Know About EPA Climate Actions

This issue brief (pdf) summarizes recent regulatory actions, notes potential obstacles to EPA's efforts, and discusses the role that states will play in the regulatory programs under development.

January 7, 2011