Clean Power Act of 2003 - Fall

Advisor: Eileen McGinnis 

This workshop report analyzes the proposed Clean Power Act of 2003, a multi-pollutant legislative proposal designed to reduce emissions from the U.S. electricity generation sector. Sponsored by Senator Jim Jeffords, the Act aims to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), and mercury by establishing national emissions caps and creating a market-based trading system. The report situates the legislation within the broader evolution of U.S. air quality regulation under the Clean Air Act and the growing scientific consensus surrounding climate change. Electricity generation represents a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, with the U.S. contributing approximately one-quarter of global CO₂ emissions and power plants accounting for a significant portion of domestic emissions.

The report proposes an implementation framework centered on a national cap-and-trade system administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. Under this approach, power plants would receive emissions allowances and could trade them within a regulated market, enabling companies to achieve reductions in the most cost-effective manner while maintaining overall national emissions limits. The analysis recommends a phased emissions reduction schedule, targeting a 17 percent reduction below 2000 levels by 2020 to balance environmental goals with economic feasibility. Additional program components include financial incentives for renewable energy development, support for energy efficiency initiatives, and research funding for emerging technologies such as carbon sequestration. The report concludes that market-based regulation can provide a flexible and economically efficient mechanism for reducing emissions while encouraging technological innovation and investment in cleaner energy sources.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management.