‹ Analysis & Projections

Annual Energy Outlook 2012

Release Date: June 25, 2012   |  Next Early Release Date: January 23, 2013  |   Report Number: DOE/EIA-0383(2012)

Legislation AEO 2011Legislation and regulations

Introduction

The Annual Energy Outlook 2012 (AEO2012) generally represents current Federal and State legislation and final implementation regulations available as of the end of December 2011. The AEO2012 Reference case assumes that current laws and regulations affecting the energy sector are largely unchanged throughout the projection period (including the implication that laws that include sunset dates do, in fact, become ineffective at the time of those sunset dates) [5]. The potential impacts of proposed legislation, regulations, or standards-or of sections of legislation that have been enacted but require funds or implementing regulations that have not been provided or specified—are not reflected in the AEO2012 Reference case, but some are considered in alternative cases. This section summarizes Federal and State legislation and regulations newly incorporated or updated in AEO2012 since the completion of the Annual Energy Outlook 2011.

Examples of recently enacted Federal and State legislation and regulations incorporated in the AEO2012 Reference case include:

  • New greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fuel consumption standards for medium- and heavy-duty engines and vehicles, published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) in September 2011 [6]
  • The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), as finalized by the EPA in July 2011 [7]
  • Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule, issued by the EPA in December 2011 [8].

There are many other pieces of legislation and regulation that appear to have some probability of being enacted in the not-toodistant future, and some laws include sunset provisions that may be extended. However, it is difficult to discern the exact forms that the final provisions of pending legislation or regulations will take, and sunset provisions may or may not be extended. Even in situations where existing legislation contains provisions to allow revision of implementing regulations, those provisions may not be exercised consistently. Many pending provisions are examined in alternative cases included in AEO2012 or in other analyses completed by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). In addition, at the request of the Administration and Congress, EIA has regularly examined the potential implications of proposed legislation in Service Reports. Those reports can be found on the EIA website at www.eia.gov/oiaf/service_rpts.htm.

1. Greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption standards for heavy-duty vehicles, model years 2014 through 2018

On September 15, 2011, the EPA and NHTSA jointly announced a final rule, called the HD National Program [9], which for the first time established GHG emissions and fuel consumption standards for on-road heavy-duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) above 8,500 pounds (Classes 2b through 8) [10] and their engines. The AEO2012 Reference case incorporates the new standards for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs)

Due to the tremendous diversity of HDV uses, designs, and power requirements, the HD National Program separates GHG and fuel consumption standards into discrete vehicle categories within combination tractors, vocational vehicles, and heavy-duty pickups and vans (Table 1). Further, the rule recognizes that reducing GHG emissions and fuel consumption will require changes to both the engine and the body of a vehicle (to reduce the amount of work demanded by an engine). The final rule sets separate standards for the different engines used in combination tractors and vocational vehicles. AEO2012 represents standard compliance among HDV regulatory classifications that represent the discrete vehicle categories set forth in the rule.

The HD National Program standards begin for model year (MY) 2014 vehicles and engines and are fully phased in by MY 2018. The EPA, under authority granted by the Clean Air Act, has issued GHG emissions standards that begin with MY 2014 for all engine and body categories. NHTSA, operating under regulatory timelines mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act [11], set voluntary fuel consumption standards for MY 2014 and 2015, with the standards becoming mandatory for MY 2016 and beyond, except for diesel engine standards, which become mandatory for MY 2017 and beyond. Standards reach the most stringent levels for combination tractors and vocational vehicles in MY 2017, with subsequent standards then holding constant. Heavy-duty pickup and van standards are required to reach the highest level of stringency in MY 2018. AEO2012 includes the HD Table 1.

National Program standards beginning in MY 2014 as set by the GHG emissions portion of the rule, with standards represented by vehicle, including both the chassis and engine. AEO2012 assumes that vehicle chassis and engine manufacturers comply with the voluntary portion of the rule covering the fuel consumption standard. AEO2012 does not model the chassis and engine standards separately but allows the use of technologies to meet the HD National Program combined engine and chassis standards.

Although they are not modeled separately in AEO2012, GHG emission and fuel consumption standards for combination tractors are set for the tractor cabs and the engines used in those cabs separately in the HD National Program. Combination tractor cab standards are subdivided by GVWR (Class 7 or 8), cab type (day or sleeper), and roof type (low, mid, or high). Combination tractor engine standards are subdivided into medium heavy-duty diesel (for use in Class 7 tractors) and heavy heavy-duty diesel (for use in Class 8 tractors) (Table 2). Each tractor cab and engine combination is required to meet the GHG and fuel consumption standards for a given model year, unless they are made up by credits or other program fexibilities.

Again, although they are not modeled separately in AEO2012, GHG emission and fuel consumption standards for vocational vehicles are set separately in the HD National Program for the vehicle chassis and the engines used in the chassis. Vocational vehicle chassis standards are subdivided in the rule by GVWR (Classes 2b to 5, Classes 6 and 7, and Class 8). Vocational vehicle engine standards are subdivided into light heavy-duty diesel (for use in Classes 2b through 5), medium heavy-duty diesel (for use in Classes 6 and 7), heavy heavy-duty diesel (for use in Class 8), and spark-ignited (primarily gasoline) engines (for use in all classes) (Table 3). Each vocational vehicle chassis and engine combination is required to meet the GHG and fuel consumption standard for a given model year, unless made up by credits or other program fexibilities.


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Standards for heavy-duty pickups and vans are based on the "work factor" —a weighted average of the vehicle's payload and towing capacity, adjusted for four-wheel drive capability. The standards for heavy-duty pickups and vans are different for diesel and gasoline engines (Figures 7 and 8). They differ from the standards for combination tractors and vocational vehicles in that they apply to the vehicle fleet average for each manufacturer for a given model year, based on a production volume-weighted target for each model, with targets differing by work factor attribute.


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The final rulemaking exempts small manufacturers of heavy-duty engines, combination tractor cabs, or vocational vehicle chassis from the GHG emissions and fuel consumption standards. Fuel consumption and GHG emissions for alternative-fuel vehicles, such as compressed natural gas vehicles, will be calculated according to their tailpipe emissions. Finally, the rulemaking contains four provisions designed to give manufacturers fexibility in meeting the GHG and fuel consumption standards. Both the EPA and NHTSA will allow for early compliance credits in MY 2013; manufacturer averaging, banking, and trading; advanced technology credits; and innovative technology credits. Those flexibility provisions are not included in the AEO2012 Reference case.

2. Cross-State Air Pollution Rule

The CSAPR was created to regulate emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from power plants greater than 25 megawatts that generate electric power from fossil fuels. CSAPR is intended to assist States in achieving their National Ambient Air Quality Standards for one particulate matter and ground-level ozone. Limits on annual emissions of SO2 and NOx are designed to address fine particulate matter. The seasonal NOx limits address ground-level ozone. Twenty-three States are subject to the annual limits, and 25 States are subject to the seasonal limits [12].

CSAPR replaces the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). CAIR is an interstate emissions cap-and-trade program for SO2 and NOx that would have allowed for unlimited trading among 28 eastern States. It was finalized in 2005, and requirements for emissions reductions were scheduled to begin 2009. In 2008, however, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit found that CAIR did not sufficiently meet the Clean Air Act requirements and directed the EPA to fix the flaws that it identified while CAIR remained in effect.

In July 2011, the EPA published CSAPR, with State coverage as shown in Figure 9. CSAPR consists of four individual cap-and-trade programs:

  • Group 1 SO2 covers 16 States.
  • Group 2 SO2 covers 7 States [13].
  • Annual NOx Group consists of an annual cap-and-trade program that covers all Group 1 and Group 2 SO2 States.
  • Seasonal NOx Group covers a separate set of States, 20 of which are also in the Annual NOx Group and 5 of which are not.


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All cap-and-trade programs specified in CSAPR are included in AEO2012, but because the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) does not represent electric power markets at the State level, the four group emissions caps and corresponding allowance trading could not be explicitly represented. The cap-and-trade systems for annual SO2 and NOx emissions are implemented for the coal demand regions by aggregating the allowance budget for each State within a region.

The EPA scheduled three annual cap-and-trade programs to commence in January 2012 and the summer season NOx program to begin in May 2012. For three of the four programs, the initial annual cap does not change over time. For the Group 1 SO2 program, the emissions cap across States is reduced substantially in 2014.

Emissions trading is unrestricted within a group but is not allowed across groups. Therefore, emissions allowances exist for four independent trading programs. Each State is designated an annual emissions budget, with the sum of the budgets making up the overall group emissions cap. Sources can collectively exceed State emissions budgets by close to 20 percent without any penalty. If the sources collectively exceed the State emission budget by more than the 20 percent, the sources responsible must "pay a penalty" in addition to submitting the additional allowances. The EPA set the penalties with the goal of ensuring that emissions produced by upwind States would not exceed assurance levels and contribute to air quality problems in downwind States. The emissions allowances are allocated to generating units primarily on the basis of historical energy use.

CSAPR was scheduled to begin on January 1, 2012, but the Court of Appeals issued a stay that is delaying implementation while it addresses legal challenges to the rule that have been raised by several power companies and States [14]. CSAPR is included in AEO2012 despite the stay, because the Court of Appeals had not made a final ruling at the time AEO2012 was completed.

3. Mercury and air toxics standards

The MATS [15] are required by Section 112 of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, which requires that maximum achievable control technology be applied to power plants to control emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) [16]. The MATS rule, finalized in December 2011, regulates mercury (Hg) and other HAPs from power plants. MATS applies to Hg and hazardous acid gases, metals, and organics from coal- and oil-fired power plants with nameplate capacities greater than 25 megawatts [17]. The standards take effect in 2015.

The AEO2012 Reference case assumes that all coal-fired generating units with capacity greater than 25 megawatts will comply with the MATS rule beginning in 2015. The MATS rule is not applied to oil-fired steam units in AEO2012 because of their small size and limited importance. In order to comply with the MATS rule for coal, the NEMS model requires all coal-fired power plants to reduce Hg emissions to 90 percent below their uncontrolled emissions levels by using scrubbers and activated carbon injection controls. NEMS does not explicitly model the emissions of acid gases, toxic metals other than Hg, or organic HAPs. Therefore, in order to measure the impact of these rules, specific control technologies—either flue gas desulfurization scrubbers or dry sorbent injection systems—are assumed to be used to achieve compliance. A full fabric filter also is required to meet the limits on emissions of metals other than Hg and to improve the effectiveness of the dry sorbent injection systems. NEMS does not model the best practices associated with reductions in dioxin emissions, which also are covered by the MATS rule.

4. Updated State air emissions regulations

As its first 3-year compliance period came to a close, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) continued to apply to fossil-fuel-fired power plants larger than 25 megawatts capacity in the northeastern United States, despite New Jersey's decision to withdraw from the program at the end of 2011. There are now nine States in the accord, which caps carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from covered electricity generating facilities and requires each ton of CO2 emitted to be offset by an allowance purchased at auction. Because the program is binding, it is included in AEO2012 as specified in the agreement.

The reduction of CO2 emissions from the power sector in the RGGI region since 2009 is primarily a result of broader market trends. Since mid-2008, natural gas prices and electricity demand in the Northeast have fallen, while coal prices have increased. Because the RGGI baseline and projected emissions were calculated before the economic recession that began in 2008, the emissions caps are higher than actual emissions have been, leading to an excess of available allowances in recent auctions. In the past seven auctions, allowances have sold at the floor price of $1.89 per ton [18], indicating that emissions in the region are at or below the program-mandated ceiling.

As a result of the noncompetitive auctions, in which credits have not actually been traded but simply purchased at a floor price, several States have decided to retire their excess allowances permanently [19], which will result in the removal of 67 million tons of CO2 from the RGGI emissions ceiling. Moreover, the program began a stakeholder hearing process in January 2012 that will last through the summer of 2012. The hearings, which are designed to adjust the program at the end of the first compliance period, may alter the program significantly. Because no changes have been finalized, however, modeling of the provisions in AEO2012 is the same as in previous Annual Energy Outlooks.

The Western Climate Initiative is another program designed to establish a GHG emissions trading program, although the final details of the program remain undecided [20]. At the stakeholders meeting in January 2012, the commitment to emissions trading was reafirmed. Because of the continued uncertainty over the implementation and design of the final program, it is not included in the AEO2012 projections.

The California cap-and-trade system for GHG emissions, designed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in response to California Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 [21], is discussed in the following section.

5. California Assembly Bill 32: The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006

California Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, authorized the CARB to set California's GHG reduction goals for 2020 and establish a comprehensive, multi-year program to reduce GHG emissions in California. As one of the major initiatives for AB 32, CARB designed a cap-and-trade program that started on January 1, 2012, with the enforceable compliance obligations beginning in 2013.

The cap-and-trade program is intended to help California achieve its goal of reducing emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The program covers several GHGs, with the most significant being CO2 [22]. In 2007, CARB determined that 427 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e) was the total State-wide GHG emissions level in 1990 and, therefore, would be the 2020 emissions target. All electric power plants, large industrial facilities, suppliers of transportation fuel, and suppliers of natural gas in California are required to submit emissions allowances for each ton of CO2 or CO2-equivalent emissions they produce, in order to comply with the final rule [23]. Emissions resulting from electricity generated outside California but consumed in the State also are subject to the cap.

The cap-and-trade program applies to multiple economic sectors throughout the State's economy, but for AEO2012, due to modeling limitations, it is assumed to be implemented only in the electric power sector. AEO2012 places limits on emissions from electric power plants and cogeneration facilities in California, as well as power plants in other States that sell power to California. The cap is set to begin in 2013 and to decline linearly to 85 percent of the 2013 value by 2020.

The enforceable cap goes into effect in 2013, and there are three compliance periods-multi-year periods for which the compliance obligation is calculated for covered entities. The first compliance period lasts for 2 years, and the second and third periods last for 3 years each, as follows:

  • Compliance Period 1: 2013-2014
  • Compliance Period 2: 2015-2017
  • Compliance Period 3: 2018-2020.

The electricity and industrial sectors are required to comply with the cap starting in 2013. Suppliers of natural gas and transportation fuels are required to comply starting in 2015, when the second compliance period begins. For the first compliance period, covered entities are required to submit allowances for up to 30 percent of their annual emissions in each year; however, at the end of 2014 they are required to account for all the emissions for which they were responsible during the 2-year period.

Annual GHG allowance budgets for the State (i.e., emissions caps) are set by the final rule [24] as follows: for 2013, 162.8 MMTCO2e; for 2014, 159.7 MMTCO2e; for 2015, 394.5 MMTCO2e; for 2016, 382.4 MMTCO2e; for 2017, 370.4 MMTCO2e; for 2018, 358.3 MMTCO2e; for 2019, 346.3 MMTCO2e; and for 2020, 334.2 MMTCO2e.

A majority of the allowances (51 percent) [25] allocated over the initial 8 years of the program will be distributed through auctions, which will be held quarterly when the program commences. Auctions are set to begin in 2012, and the program caps will take effect in 2013. Revenue gained from the auctions is intended to be used for purposes related to AB 32, as determined by the Governor and the State Legislature.

Twenty-five percent of the allowances are allocated directly to electric utilities that sell electricity to consumers in the State. The utilities are then required to put their allowances up for auction and use the revenue generated from the auction to credit ratepayers. An exception is made for public power agencies, which will be able to keep allowances for compliance.

Seventeen percent of the allowances are allocated directly to industrial facilities covered by the rule, in order to mitigate the economic impact of the cap on the industrial sector. Over the 2013-2020 period, the number of allowances allocated annually to the industrial sector declines linearly, by a total of 50 percent.

The remaining 7 percent of the allowances issued in a given year go into a cost containment reserve and forward reserve auction. The cost containment reserve is intended to be called on only if allowance prices rise above a set amount. Each entity can also use offsets to meet up to 8 percent of its compliance obligation. Offsets used as part of the program must be approved by the CARB.

6. State renewable energy requirements and goals: Update through 2011

To the extent possible, AEO2012 incorporates the impacts of State laws requiring the addition of renewable generation or capacity by utilities doing business in the States. Currently, 30 States and the District of Columbia have an enforceable renewable portfolio standard (RPS) or similar laws (Table 4). Under such standards, each State determines its own levels of renewable generation, eligible technologies [26], and noncompliance penalties. AEO2012 includes the impacts of all laws in effect at the end of 2011 (with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii, because NEMS provides electricity market projections for the contiguous lower 48 States only). However, the projections do not include policies with either voluntary goals or targets that can be substantially satisfied with nonrenewable resources. In addition, the model is not able to treat fuel-specific provisions-such as those for solar and offshore wind energy-as distinct targets. Where applicable, these distinct targets (sometimes referred to as "tiers," "set-asides," or "carve-outs") may be subsumed into the broader targets, or are not modeled because they may be met with existing capacity and/or projected growth based on modeled economic and policy factors.


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In the AEO2012 Reference case, States generally are assumed to meet their ultimate RPS targets. The RPS compliance constraint in most regions is approximated, because NEMS is not a State-level model, and each State generally represents only a portion of one of the NEMS electricity regions. Compliance costs in each region are tracked, and the projection for total renewable generation is checked for consistency with any State-level cost-control provisions, such as caps on renewable credit prices, limits on State compliance funding, or impacts on consumer electricity prices. In general, EIA has confirmed the States' requirements through original documentation, although the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Effciency was also used to support those efforts [27].No new RPS programs were enacted over the past year; however, some States with existing RPS programs made modifications in 2011. The aggregate RPS requirement for the various State programs, as modeled in AEO2012, is shown in Figure 10. By 2025, these targets account for about 10 percent of U.S. sales. The requirement is derived from the legal targets and projected sales, and does not account for any discretionary or nondiscretionary waivers or limits on compliance found in most State RPS programs. State RPS policies are not the only driver of growth in renewable generation, and a more complete discussion of those factors can be found in "Market trends." The following sections detail the significant changes made by the States. In addition, Table 4 provides a summary of all State RPS laws.

California

The State codified its RPS of 33 percent by 2020 through the passage of SBX1-2, the California Renewable Energy Resources Act [28]. The California Public Utilities Commission and California Energy Commission are the primary implementing authorities for SBX1-2, which builds on California's prior RPS mandate for 20 percent of electricity sales by 2010 [29]. SBX1-2 extends the application of the RPS to local publicly owned utilities, which had greater fexibility under the State's previous RPS mandate. SBX1-2 supersedes the 2009 Executive Order that charged the CARB with implementing the 33-percent RPS; however, CARB does retain an enforcement role over publicly owned local utilities. Because implementing regulations were not available at the time the AEO2012 projections were being developed, the 2009 Executive Order was modeled. Although the targets specified in the two programs are similar, enforcement mechanisms may differ significantly.

Connecticut

Public Act 11-80 adds a solar-specific component to the existing RPS target, which requires that renewables should account for 27 percent of sales by 2020 [30]. The State's Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority is tasked with creating an investment program that will result in the procurement of 30 megawatts of residential solar installations that can be counted toward the general RPS requirement.

Delaware

Delaware enacted SB 124, which extends the list of sources eligible to meet the State's RPS to include fuel cells under certain conditions [31]. Fuel cell projects that can be fueled by renewable sources and that are owned or operated by qualified providers can apply to earn renewable energy credits and, on a limited basis, solar renewable energy credits.

Illinois

With the enactment of SB 1652, the State augmented its existing RPS to include a distributed generation requirement [32]. SB 1652 requires that 1 percent of the renewable target (25 percent of sales from renewable sources by 2025 for large utilities) be fulfilled by distributed generation by mid-2015, with incremental targets beginning to take effect in 2013.

Maryland

The State enacted two pieces of legislation that allow for additional á°€exibility in meeting the existing RPS target of 20 percent of sales from renewable generation by 2022. SB 690 extends the designation of waste-to-energy facilities as qualifying to meet the 20-percent target beyond 2022, rather than sunsetting [33]. In addition, SB 717 specifies that solar water heating systems may also fulfill the solar set-aside requirement, which requires that solar sources account for 2 percent of electricity sales by 2022 [34].

North Carolina

North Carolina enacted SB 75, which allows reductions in electricity demand to qualify toward meeting the State's existing renewable energy and energy efficiency portfolio standard. The legislation defines electricity demand reduction as a "measureable reduction in the electricity demand of a retail electric customer that is voluntary, under the real-time control of both the electric power supplier and the retail electric customer, and measured in real time, using two-way communications devices that communicate on the basis of standards" [35]. There is no upper limit on the portion of the RPS requirement that can be met by electricity demand reduction.

7. California low carbon fuel standard

The Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), administered by the CARB [36], was signed into law in January 2010. Regulated parties under the legislation generally are the fuel producers and importers who sell motor gasoline or diesel fuel in California. The LCFS legislation is designed to reduce the carbon intensity (CI) of motor gasoline and diesel fuels sold in California by 10 percent between 2012 and 2020 through the increased sale of alternative "low-carbon" fuels. Each alternative low-carbon fuel has its own CI, based on life-cycle analyses conducted under the guidance of CARB for a number of approved fuel pathways. The CIs are calculated on an energy-equivalent basis, measured in grams of CO2 equivalent emissions per megajoule.

In December 2011, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of California ruled in favor of several trade groups that claimed the LCFS violated the interstate commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution by seeking to regulate farming and ethanol production practices in other States, and granted an injunction blocking enforcement by CARB [37]. The future of the LCFS program remains uncertain. After the initial ruling, a request for a stay of the injunction was quickly filed by CARB, which would have allowed the LCFS to remain in place during the appeal process; however, that request was denied by the same judge who initially blocked enforcement of the LCFS [38]. A new request for a stay of injunction while CARB appeals the original ruling was filed with the U.S. Ninth District Court of Appeals and was granted as of April 23, 2012 [39]. A decision on the appeal filed by CARB is yet to be made. As a result of the initial ruling's timing, along with EIA's prior completion of modeling efforts, the LCFS is not included in the AEO2012 Reference case [40].

Endnotes for Legislation and regulations

5. A complete list of the laws and regulations included in AEO2012 is provided in Assumptions to the Annual Energy Outlook 2012, Appendix A, website www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/assumptions/pdf/0554(2012).pdf (forthcoming).

6. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles; Final Rule," Federal Register, Vol. 76, No. 179 (Washington, DC: September 15, 2011), pp. 57106-57513, website www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-09-15/html/2011-20740.htm.

7. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)," website epa.gov/airtransport.

8. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Mercury and Air Toxics Standards," website www.epa.gov/mats.

9. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles; Final Rule," Federal Register, Vol. 76, No. 179 (Washington, DC: September 15, 2011), website www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-09-15/html/2011-20740.htm.

10. For purposes of this final rulemaking, heavy-duty trucks are those with a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 8,501 pounds, except those Class 2 b vehicles of 8,501 to 10,000 pounds that are currently covered under light-duty vehicle fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards.

11. Congressional Research Service, Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007: A Summary of Major Provisions, Order Code RL34294 (Washington, DC: December 2007), website www.seco.noaa.gov/Energy/2007_Dec_21_Summary_Security_Act_2007.pdf.

12. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cross-State Air Pollution Rule: Reducing Air Pollution, Protecting Public Health (Washington, DC: December 15, 2011), website www.epa.gov/airtransport/pdfs/CSAPRPresentation.pdf.

13. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cross-State Air Pollution Rule: Reducing Air Pollution, Protecting Public Health (Washington, DC: December 15, 2011), Slide 3, website www.epa.gov/airtransport/pdfs/CSAPRPresentation.pdf.

14. T. Schoenberg, B. Wingfield, and J. Johnsson, "EPA Cross-State Emissions Rule Put on Hold by Court," Bloomberg Businessweek (January 4, 2012), website www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-04/epa-cross-state-emissions-rule-put-on-hold-by-court.html.

15. The AEO2012 Early Release Reference case was prepared before the final MATS rule was issued and, therefore, did not include MATS.

16. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants From Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units and Standards of Performance for Fossil-Fuel-Fired Electric Utility, Industrial-Commercial-Institutional, and Small Industrial-Commercial-Institutional Steam Generating Units," Federal Register, Vol. 77, No. 32 (Washington, DC: February 16, 2012), pp. 9304-9513, website www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-02-16/pdf/2012-806.pdf.

17. The Clean Air Act, Section 112(a)(8), defines an electric generating unit.

18. Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, "CO2 Auctions, Tracking & Offsets," website www.rggi.org/market.

19. M. Navarro, "Regional Cap-and-Trade Effort Seeks Greater Impact by Cutting Carbon Allowances," The New York Times (January 26, 2012), website www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/nyregion/in-greenhouse-gas-initiative-many-unsold-allowances.html?_r=2.

20. Western Climate Initiative, WCI Emissions Trading Program Update (San Francisco, CA: January 12, 2012), website www.westernclimateinitiative.org/document-archives/Partner-Meeting-Materials/Jan-12-Stakeholder-Update-Presentation/%20.

21. California Code of Regulations, Subchapter 10 Climate Change, Article 5, Sections 95800 to 96023, Title 17, "California Cap on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Market-Based Compliance Mechanisms" (Sacramento, CA: July 2011), website www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2010/capandtrade10/candtmodreg.pdf.

22. California Code of Regulations, Subchapter 10 Climate Change, Article 5, Sections 95800 to 96023, Title 17, "California Cap on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Market-Based Compliance Mechanisms" (Sacramento, CA: July 2011), website www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2010/capandtrade10/candtmodreg.pdf.

23. California Code of Regulations, Subchapter 10 Climate Change, Article 5, Section 95810, "Covered Gases" (Sacramento, CA: July 2011), website www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2010/capandtrade10/candtmodreg.pdf.

24. California Code of Regulations, Subchapter 10 Climate Change, Article 5, Section 95841, "Annual Allowance Budgets for Calendar Years 2013-2020" (Sacramento, CA: July 2011), website www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2010/capandtrade10/candtmodreg.pdf.

25. California Air Resources Board, Proposed Regulation to Implement the California Cap-and-Trade Program, Appendix J, "Allowance Allocation" (Sacramento, CA: October 2010), p. 12, website www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2010/capandtrade10/capv4appj.pdf.

26. The eligible technology, and even the definition of the technology or fuel category, will vary by State. For example, one State's definition of renewables may include hydroelectric power generation, while another's definition may not. Table 4 provides more detail on how the technology or fuel category is defined by each State.

27. More information about the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency can be found at website www.dsireusa.org/about.

28. State of California, Senate Bill 2, "California Renewable Energy Resources Act" (Sacramento, CA: April 2011), website www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/sbx1_2_bill_20110412_chaptered.html.

29. State of California, Public Utilities Code, Sections 399.11 to 399.31, website www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=puc&group=00001-01000&file=399.11-399.31.

30. State of Connecticut, Public Act 11-80, "An Act Concerning the Establishment of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Planning for Connecticut's Energy Future" (Hartford, CT: July 1, 2011), website www.cga.ct.gov/2011/ACT/PA/2011PA-00080-R00SB-01243-PA.htm.

31. State of Delaware, Senate Bill 124, "An Act To Amend Title 26 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Delaware's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards And Delaware-Manufactured Fuel Cells" (Dover, DE: July 7, 2011), website www.legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis146.nsf/vwLegislation/SB+124/$file/legis.html?open.

32. State of Illinois, Senate Bill 1652, "An Act Concerning Public Utilities" (Springfield, IL: October 26, 2011), website www.ilga.gov/legislation/97/SB/PDF/09700SB1652lv.pdf.

33. State of Maryland, Senate Bill 690, "An Act Concerning Renewable Energy Portfolio - Waste-to-Energy and Refuse-Derived Fuel" (Annapolis, MD: May 29, 2011), website mlis.state.md.us/2011rs/bills/sb/sb0690e.pdf.

34. State of Maryland, Senate Bill 717, "An Act Concerning Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Renewable Energy Credits - Solar Water Heating Systems" (Annapolis, MD: May 29, 2011), website http://mlis.state.md.us/2011rs/bills/sb/sb0717e.pdf.

35. General Assembly of North Carolina, Senate Bill 75, "An Act to Promote the Use of Electricity Demand Reduction to Satisfy Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards" (Raleigh, NC: April 28, 2011), website www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2011/Bills/Senate/PDF/S75v4.pdf.

36. California Code of Regulations, Subchapter 10 Climate Change, Article 4, Sections 95480 to 95490, Title 17, Subarticle 7, "Low Carbon Fuel Standard," (Sacramento, CA: July 2011), website www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2009/lcfs09/finalfro.pdf.

37. State of California, "Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Supplemental Regulatory Advisory 10-04B" (Sacramento, CA: December 2011), website www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/123111lcfs-rep-adv.pdf.

38. Renewable Fuels Association, "Judge Denies California Attempt to Reimplement LCFS" (January 23, 2012), website www.ethanolrfa.org/news/entry/judge-denies-california-attempt-to-reimplement-lcfs.

39. State of California, "LCFS Enforcement Injunction is Lifted" (Sacramento, CA: April 24, 2012), website www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/LCFS_Stay_Granted.pdf.

40. The LCFS was included in the AEO2012 Early Release Reference case, which was completed before the ruling by the Court.

Reference Case Tables
Table 1. Total Energy Supply, Disposition, and Price Summary XLS
Table 2. Energy Consumption by Sector and Source - United States XLS
Table 3. Energy Prices by Sector and Source - United States XLS
Table 4. Residential Sector Key Indicators and Consumption XLS
Table 5. Commercial Sector Key Indicators and Consumption XLS
Table 6. Industrial Sector Key Indicators and Consumption XLS
Table 7. Transportation Sector Key Indicators and Delivered Energy Consumption XLS
Table 8. Electricity Supply, Disposition, Prices, and Emissions XLS
Table 9. Electricity Generating Capacity XLS
Table 10. Electricity Trade XLS
Table 11. Liquid Fuels Supply and Disposition XLS
Table 12. Petroleum Product Prices XLS
Table 13. Natural Gas Supply, Disposition, and Prices XLS
Table 14. Oil and Gas Supply XLS
Table 15. Coal Supply, Disposition, and Prices XLS
Table 16. Renewable Energy Generating Capacity and Generation XLS
Table 17. Renewable Energy Consumption by Sector and Source XLS
Table 18. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Sector and Source - United States XLS
Table 19. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions by End Use XLS
Table 20. Macroeconomic Indicators XLS
Table 21. International Liquids Supply and Disposition Summary XLS