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Electric Utility Restructuring: Overview of Basic Policy Questions

Description: Proposals to increase competition in the electric utility industry involve segmenting electric functions (generation, transmission, distribution) that are currently integrated (or bundled) in most cases (both in terms of corporate and rate structures). This report identifies five basic issues this effort raises for the Congress to consider as the debate on restructuring proceeds.
Date: January 7, 1999
Creator: Parker, Larry
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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World Solar Summit: Launching the World Renewable Energy Program

Description: The World Solar Summit and proposed World Solar Program 1996-2005 address energy problems through increased use of renewable energy technologies. The World Solar Commission will host the World Solar Summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, on September 16 and 17, 1996, and it will direct the World Solar Program 1996-2005. At the Summit, the Commission is expected to adopt a World Plan ofAction and a number of Strategic Projects. The proposed World Plan of Action includes a selection of high-priority renewab… more
Date: August 1, 1996
Creator: Sissine, Fred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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World Oil Production After Year 2000: Business As Usual or Crises?

Description: Deficient productive capacity has not yet caused an oil crisis, but that does not mean it never will. Significant increases in world oil demand will have to be met primarily from Persian Gulf supplies. This is a region with a history of wars, illegal occupations, soups, revolutions, sabotage, terrorism, and oil embargoes. To these possibilities may be added growing Islamist movements with various antipathies to the West. If oil production were constrained, oil prices could rise abruptly along w… more
Date: August 18, 1995
Creator: Riva, Joseph P
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Auburn Dam on the American River: Fact Sheet

Description: For more than 30 years, Congress has debated constructing a dam on the American River near Auburn, California. The Army Corps of Engineers recently identified three alternatives for flood control, with the Division office's preferred plan calling for construction of a 508-foot-high detention dam. Currently, two bills address the issue: H.R. 3270 supports construction of the dam, while H.R. 2951 opposes construction of any structure on the North Fork of the American River.
Date: June 6, 1996
Creator: Cody, Betsy A.; Hughes, H. Steven & Price, Shelley
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Implementation of the Reformulated Gasoline Program

Description: The Clean Air Act (CAA) was amended in 1990 requiring the sale of cleaner-burning reformulated gasoline (RFG) in the nine worst nonattainment areas. Since the program began on January 1, 1995, legislation has been introduced to delay or repeal the requirement. RFG must contain oxygenates and should result in a 15 percent reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and air toxins. While the CAA was being debated, affected parties (e.g., automobile manufacturers, oil industry, and agricultural… more
Date: August 1, 1995
Creator: Mayer, Susan L.; Kumins, Lawrence C. & Segal, Migdon
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Naval Petroleum Reserves: Proposed Sale and Issues

Description: The Naval Petroleum Reserves (NPR)--consisting of the large Elk Hills Field in California and smaller fields at Buena Vista Hills (CA) and Teapot Dome (WY)--were established in the early 1900s. Congress authorized full production of the NPR in 1976. Production at Elk Hills, the most significant field, peaked at 181,000 barrels per day (b/d) in 1981; currently, it is 65,000 b/d. The Clinton Administration earmarked the NPR for sale in its FY1996 budget, estimating its gross value at $2.6 billion. more
Date: March 14, 1996
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tax Incentives for Alcohol Fuels

Description: The blender's tax credits were specifically enacted to complement the excise tax exemptions, so as to help support farm incomes by finding another market for corn, sugar, and other agricultural products that are the basic raw materials for alcohol production. More recently, proponents of expanding the alcohol fuels tax incentives argue that they reduce smog and improve air quality.
Date: February 9, 1995
Creator: Lazzari, Salvatore
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Alcohol Fuels Tax Incentives and the EPA Renewable Oxygenate Requirement

Description: This report examines the current alcohol fuels Federal tax incentives. Part I describes the statutory provisions of each of the five incentives. Part II examines the major public policy and economic issues of concern to policymakers: potential revenue effects, effectiveness, and economic efficiency.
Date: October 7, 1994
Creator: Lazzari, Salvatore
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Japan's Sea Shipment of Plutonium

Description: Japan's sea shipment of a ton of plutonium from France to Japan on Nov. 7, 1992, faced strong public opposition, as did a previous one in 1984, from various public interest groups, independent analysts, and Members of Congress. The shipment arrived safely in Tokyo Jan. 4, 1993. Several more shipments at intervals of about 3 years are expected. While the plutonium is owned by Japanese utilities, it was produced from uranium enriched in the United States and supplied under a U.S.-Japan agreement … more
Date: January 15, 1993
Creator: Donnelly, Warren H. & Davis, Zachary S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Electricity Restructuring Background: Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA)

Description: This report provides background information on PUHCA, including its history and impact. It also discusses how PUHCA reform fits into the current electric utility industry restructuring debate. This report will be updated as events warrant. For related information on electricity restructuring, see the CRS Electronic Briefing Book.
Date: January 7, 1999
Creator: Abel, Amy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Abandoned Mine Land Fund: Grants Distribution and Issues

Description: The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA, P.L. 95-87), enacted in 1977, established reclamation standards for all coal surface mining operations, and for the surface effects of underground mining. It also established the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program to promote the reclamation of sites mined and abandoned prior to the enactment of SMCRA. To finance reclamation of abandoned mine sites, the legislation established fees on coal production. These collections are divided into federa… more
Date: March 26, 1997
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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