Environment Publications

This December 2009 report was prepared for the RE-AMP network (120+ organizations in eight Midwestern states). The scoping report outlines and makes recommendations on a variety of policy issues related to expanding electric vehicles. The report illustrates the relationships between electric vehicles and other GHG reduction strategies such as fuel economy standards (CAFE), low carbon fuel standards (LCFS) and efforts to reduce vehicle miles traveled.  Because of their energy storage capability, electrified vehicles will also play an increasingly important role in the expansion of renewable energy and the future elaboration of smart grid technologies. More

There's a renewable energy policy with a record of incredible success, so why aren't we using it in America?  This paper briefly explores the history of feed-in tariffs (FITs) in Europe - the rise and fall of this policy in Denmark and the rise and rise of FITs in Germany - and then outlines why it would be a much simpler, more cost-effective, and better economic driver for reaching America's renewable energy goals.  More

How much energy could be generated by states tapping into internal renewable resources? This November 2008 report by David Morris and John Farrell presents preliminary data that suggests that at least half of the fifty states could meet all their internal energy needs from renewable energy generated inside their borders, and the vast majority could meet a significant percentage. More

This August 2008 report by David Morris and John Farrell was sponsored by the Ford Foundation. The next 20 years could generate as much as $1 trillion in new renewable energy investment in rural America. The report is a policy roadmap for states and the federal government that would redesign policies to encourage a highly decentralized and dispersed renewable energy industry that is significantly locally owned. Doing so would multiply the number of rural areas that benefit from burgeoning renewable energy industries, and would create a sustainable asset whose wealth and revenue will largely remain in revived local communities and regions. More

This June 2008 policy brief by Justin Dahlheimer concludes that states could generate hundreds of millions, in some cases billions, of dollars in additional revenue each year by implementing or adjusting depletion tax policies. The report illustrates how current depletion tax policies, in many cases, fail to account for the full value of the natural resources, depriving state and local governments of additional revenue that could be useful in current and future fiscal years. More

This February 2008 report by David Morris criticizes the authors of two recent studies published in Science for advancing a conclusion not supported by their own studies. The paper notes that the vast majority of today's ethanol production comes from corn cultivated on land that has been in corn production for generations. Since little new land has come into production, either directly or indirectly, the current use of ethanol clearly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

On February 7, 2008, Science published two studies that examined the greenhouse gas impact of land use changes caused by the growing demand for biofuels. Within hours, news of the studies was carried by a remarkable number of media outlets. Reporters summed up the findings in dire terms. National Public Radio declared, "Study: Ethanol Worse for Climate Than Gasoline." The New York Times headline read, "Biofuels Deemed a Greenhouse Threat."  More

On February 15, 1996, ILSR's Vice President David Morris testified before legislative committee hearing in Minnesota on a 1996 bill, H.F. 3063, the Economic Efficiency and Pollution Reduction Act of 1996 (EEPRA). More

A factsheet related to the proposed Energy Efficiency and Pollution Reduction Act (EEPRA) in Minnesota during 1996-1997. EEPRA is a revenue neutral measure that proposes to increase energy taxes by $1.5 billion and to reduce existing taxes on labor or income by an equal amount. More

A factsheet related to the proposed Energy Efficiency and Pollution Reduction Act (EEPRA) in Minnesota during 1996-1997. EEPRA is a revenue neutral measure that proposes to increase energy taxes by $1.5 billion and to reduce existing taxes on labor or income by an equal amount. More

A factsheet related to the proposed Energy Efficiency and Pollution Reduction Act (EEPRA) in Minnesota during 1996-1997. EEPRA is a revenue neutral measure that proposes to increase energy taxes by $1.5 billion and to reduce existing taxes on labor or income by an equal amount.