A Fractured Climate? The Political Economy of Public Utility Commissions in an Age of Climate Change

Between 1997 and 2005, states that elected their public utility commissioners had an annual percent change in CO2 emissions that was nearly three times as much as those states that appoint their PUC commissioners. This suggests that developing institutions which provide decision-makers with political independence through an appointment system might be an important element in lowering environmental externalities and preventing future warming of the Earth.