Looking Back: Using Retrospective Analysis to Improve Federal Environmental Regulation
A workshop featuring "ex post" analyses of the benefits and costs of federal environmental regulations
Event Details
Interest is growing within both Congress, the regulatory community, and in the broader public for expanded and more rigorous retrospective or “ex post” analyses of federal regulations. Congress passed the Evidence Based Policy Act in 2018, taking the first step toward implementing retrospective analyses, and the proposed SMART Act of 2021 seeks to further advance ex post analyses of federal regulation.
Credible retrospective or ex post analyses of federal regulation can help document the extent to which the expected benefits have been realized and at what cost. They can also illuminate any unintended consequences of regulation, (e.g., adverse distributional outcomes or enhancement of market power). Such assessments can support innovation in regulatory design and help guide the reform or revocation repeal of poorly performing rules. While prospective or “ex ante” analyses—known as regulatory impact analyses—are now routinely conducted for major new regulations before they are implemented, consistent retrospective measurements of actual outcomes, based on quasi-experimental or other modern methods, are extremely limited.
On March 30 and March 31, 2022, Resources for the Future (RFF) hosted a virtual workshop on retrospective analyses of the benefits and costs of specific environmental regulations, primarily Clean Air Act rules. This two-day webinar features three sessions that examined rules that affect major industrial sectors, including refiners, electric utilities, and cars and trucks. The final session provided a broader overview of the potential role of retrospective analysis in the regulatory process.
Day 1
Event Video | Session 1, Session 2
Agenda | Wednesday, March 30
1:00 p.m. EDT | Welcome Remarks
- Richard G. Newell, Resources for the Future
1:10 p.m. EDT | Session 1
- Richard D. Morgenstern, Resources for the Future (Chair)
"A Retrospective Analysis of Indirect Air Quality Benefits from Power-Sector Emissions Reductions" (35 mins) | Slides
- Edward Rubin, University of Oregon
- Meredith Fowlie, UC Berkeley
- Comments: David Evans, US Environmental Protection Agency
2:20 p.m. EDT | Break
2:30 p.m. EDT | Session 2
- Arthur G. Fraas, Resources for the Future (Chair)
“Interaction of Federal CAFE/GHG Emission Requirements with California ZEV Requirements and Federal Subsidies” (35 mins) | Slides
- Joshua Linn, Resources for the Future
- Comments: Mark Jacobsen, UC San Diego
“Employment Effects of California’s GHG Cap-and-Trade Program” (35 mins)
- Richard D. Morgenstern, Resources for the Future
- Qinrui Xiahou, Resources for the Future
- Comments: Joshua Linn, Resources for the Future
4:15 p.m. EDT | Closing Remarks
Day 2
Event Video | Session 3, Session 4
Event Video | Session 5 (Congressional Remarks), Session 6 (Practitioners' Perspectives)
Agenda | Thursday, March 31
12:00 p.m. EDT | Welcome Remarks
- William A. Pizer, Resources for the Future
12:10 p.m. EDT | Session 3
- Al McGartland, US Environmental Protection Agency (Chair)
“Childhood Lead Exposure: Human Capital and Labor Market Outcomes” (35 mins) | Slides
- Arthur G. Fraas, Resources for the Future
- Randall Lutter, The Manhattan Institute
- Joshua Murphy, Natural Resources Canada
- Comments: Maureen Cropper, Resources for the Future
“Impact of the Clean Air Act on Emissions and Air Quality in the 1970s” (35 mins) | Slides
- Maureen Cropper, Resources for the Future
- Nick Muller, Carnegie Mellon University
- Yongjoon Park, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- Victoria Perez-Zetune, University of Maryland
- Comments: Arthur G. Fraas, Resources for the Future | Slides
1:55 p.m. EDT | Break
2:05 p.m. EDT | Session 4
- William A. Pizer, Resources for the Future (Chair)
“A Retrospective Analysis of the Health Benefits to Seniors from the 1997 PM NAAQS for Annual Average PM2.5 Concentrations” (35 mins) | Slides
- Nicolai Kuminoff, Arizona State University
- Kelly Bishop, Arizona State University
- Jonathan Ketcham, Arizona State University
- Comments: Peiley Lau, US Environmental Protection Agency | Slides
“Agency Action under the Evidence-Based Policy Act” (35 mins) | Slides
- Lori Bennear, Duke University
- Rupanjali Karthik, Duke University
- Jonathan Wiener, Resources for the Future, Duke University
- Comments: Richard D. Morgenstern, Resources for the Future
3:25 p.m. EDT | Session 5: Congressional Remarks on the SMART Act of 2021
- Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), US Senate
- Anthony Papian, The Office of US Senator Kyrsten Sinema
3:40 p.m. EDT | Session 6: Practitioners' Perspectives
- Richard D. Morgenstern, Resources for the Future (Chair)
- Arthur G. Fraas, Resources for the Future (Chair)
- Joseph E. Aldy, Harvard University and Resources for the Future
- Katherine Dawes, US Environmental Protection Agency | Slides
- Michael Livermore, University of Virginia
- Dominic Mancini, US Office of Management and Budget
- Al McGartland, US Environmental Protection Agency
5:00 p.m. EDT | Closing Remarks
Participants
Peiley Lau
Environmental Economist, US Environmental Protection Agency
Anthony Papian
Senior Professional Staff Member, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
