EPSCoR Energy Policy Seminar: Richard Plevin (University of California, Davis) "Is performance regulation based on life cycle assessment feasible?"

Event
Monday, April 6, 2015 - 3:40 pm to 5:00 pm
Event Type: 

Location: 1344 Howe Hall

Description: Richard Plevin (University of California, Davis) "Is performance regulation based on life cycle assessment feasible?"

Abstract:  Several jurisdictions in the US, Canada, and Europe use performance standards based on life cycle assessment (LCA) to regulate the climate effects of transportation fuels, and interest in this novel form of regulation is growing. These standards require fuel blenders and refiners to reduce the life cycle GHG intensity of their products through in situ improvements in existing processes, by blending lower-GHG-intensity fuels into their mix, or by purchasing credits from over-complying parties. Performance-based regulations have a well-deserved reputation as more efficient than command-and-control regulation in many important contexts, but their operation depends on government’s ability to measure and monitor performance at the point of regulation, and their welfare efficacy depends on a clear link between the performance measure and the outcomes of interest.

 

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