Tristan R. Brown – The Conversation

Ethanol made from corn goes into our gas tanks. Now refiners who pay for the subsidy are complaining of rising costs. armydre2008/flickr

September 1, 2016

Who should pay for our corn ethanol policy – Big Oil or gas stations?

Tristan R. Brown, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry

A fight’s breaking out over who should pay subsidies for corn ethanol, and it is consumers who may end up paying for any changes.

A White House proposal to tax crude oil would address the U.S.’s perennially underfunded highway maintenance program. scottummy/flickr

February 8, 2016

How should America fund its highways in the 21st century?

Tristan R. Brown, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Obama’s proposal to add $10 tax to crude oil raises the thorny question of whether the U.S. can continue to fund its highway infrastructure with a fuel tax that hasn’t changed since 1993.

Before there was E10, in the 1970s there was ‘gasohol,’ another name for gasoline that had been blended with ethanol. eklektikos/flickr

February 2, 2016

Corn ethanol: the rise and fall of a political force

Tristan R. Brown, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Ted Cruz opposes subsidies for biofuels and still managed to win in ethanol-friendly Iowa. Is corn ethanol starting to lose its political clout?

A solar array goes up in New York. Is this the best place to locate solar, given the relatively clean New York state grid? Lucas Braun

January 14, 2016

To cut emissions faster, U.S. should ditch tax credit‑based subsidies for renewable energy

Tristan R. Brown, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry

The wind and solar industries scored a huge win by getting extended tax credits, but research shows this isn’t the best policy for lowering emissions through renewable energy.

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