Combating Global Warming While the Senate Fiddles

No action in Congress? A simpler, more effective solution would be to allow utilities to use existing economic dispatch but require cost to include a price of pollution. Dispatchers would use current pricing models to calibrate the costs of various plants, so that cheaper units equal cleaner units. Working within current rules avoids the complexity of EPA regulation and the disruption of enacting new dispatch rules. It offers a more comprehensive solution than state-by-state permit proceedings.