Contact: Matt Dempsey matt_dempsey@epw.senate.gov 202-224-9797 

Climate Policy Roundtables

Welcome to a new feature of the Inhofe portion of the EPW website, a page dedicated to compiling all of the information gathered from Senator Inhofe staff's Climate Policy Roundtables.  The roundtables, organized by the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works minority staff, feature non-partisan climate change policy experts discussing various aspects of a cap-and-trade program with Senate staff.  The first roundtable covered allocation of allowances through cap-and-trade.  The new feature of the website will contain reports from the policy roundtables, as well as presentations and statements from the panelists.

March 30, 2009: "Understanding the Cost and Benefits of Auctioning Carbon Emission Rights"

The United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works minority staff hosted their first roundtable briefing on March 30, 2009 titled, "Understanding the Cost and Benefits of Auctioning Carbon Emission Rights."  The roundtable, which was open to all Senate staff, featured three non-partisan panelists that are some of the nation's foremost experts on climate change policy.   The roundtable was the first in a series of staff briefings to be held by Environment and Public Works Committee minority staff.  The roundtable briefings are designed to examine the details of a cap-and-trade program by allowing discussion between legislative staff and experts in environmental policy.  The discussion focused mainly on how to distribute allowances in a cap-and-trade program, either through an auction or a free allocation to covered entities.  Other subjects covered were issues such as regional disparities, regulated vs. deregulated states, the institution of a price collar, as well as a cap-and-dividend approach. 

May 18, 2009: "Understanding the Effectiveness of Carbon Cost Control Strategies."

On May 18, the United States Committee on Environment and Public Works minority staff held their second in a series of climate policy roundtable briefings.  This roundtable focused on "Understanding the Effectiveness of Carbon Cost Control Strategies." Proponents of a cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gases are divided over the inclusion and details of cost containment mechanisms, whether through the use of a safety valve, offsets, banking, borrowing, or some combination of these.  This debate involves important issues concerning, among other things, program cost, regional impacts, and market oversight.  This roundtable explored these issues in depth with some of the nation's leading experts on climate change policy.