Perverse Incentives: The Untold Story of Federal Subsidies to Fossil Fuels

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The ongoing debates about biofuels, cap and trade legislation, and paths to energy independence have focused public attention on energy and climate issues like never before, with policymakers taking a heightened interest in renewable energy and its economic viability. Against this backdrop, the Environmental Law Institute has completed a comprehensive study of federal subsidies to fossil fuel and renewable energy sources. The data reveal surprising facts about where public funds are going and how our current energy policy may actually undermine the transition to a low-carbon economy. The Wilson Center will release an overview of energy flows through the U.S. economy.