"The United States faces enormous challenges in the energy area. Climate change, biofuels policy, energy security, and environmental degradation are all intimately bound up with energy production and consumption. Historically, the federal government has relied on tax subsidies to effect energy policy. With mounting federal deficits, policy makers and advocates are increasingly calling for a rethinking of our energy tax policy. How can the federal tax code strengthen environmental policy and reduce security concerns in the area of energy? This book brings together leading tax scholars to answer this question. The authors tackle such difficult problems as climate change, efficient taxation of oil and gas, and optimal oil tax policy in a world in which OPECoil producers dominate the world oil supply. This volume presents a number of innovative policy suggestions backed by sophisticated and cutting-edge research carried out by leading scholars in the area of energy taxation. Scholars and policy makers alikewill appreciate the incisive analysis and discussion of critical issues that are part of the energy challenge in the twenty-first century"--

1. Introduction Gilbert E. Metcalf; 2. Distributional impacts of carbon pricing policies in the electricity sector Dallas Burtraw, Margaret Walls and Joshua Blonz; Comments Don Fullerton, Comments Terry M. Dinan; 3. Distributional impacts of a U.S. greenhouse gas policy: a general equilibrium analysis of carbon pricing Sebastian Rausch, Gilbert E. Metcalf, John M. Reilly and Sergey Paltsev; Comments Richard D. Morgenstern; 4. Instrument choice is instrument design David Weisbach; Comments Eric Toder; 5. Taxes, permits, and climate change Louis Kaplow; 6. Border adjustments for carbon taxes and the cost of emissions permits: economic, administrative, and legal issues Charles E. McLure; 7. Taxes and caps as climate policy instruments with domestic and imported fuels Jon Strand; 8. How much should highway fuels be taxed? Ian W. H. Parry; Comments Roberton C. Williams III; 9. State tax policy and oil production: the role of the severance tax and credits for drilling expenses Ujjayant Chakravorty, Shelby Gerking and Andrew Leach; 10. The social costs and benefits of U.S. biofuel policies with pre-existing distortions Harry de Gorter and David R. Just; Comments Brent Yacobucci.