Abstract

Here, we develop and deploy a procedure to identify pro-carbon policymaking in state renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policy from 1983–2011. We then evaluate a battery of plausible theoretical explanations that could account for state-level adoption of pro-carbon RPS policy. We ultimately find substantial support linking pro-carbon RPS policy adoption to states with high coal production doing so proactively in order to protect that industry in the face of possible Obama administration electricity policy action; and we find possible (though less robust) support for the same explanation with respect to states with high natural gas production. One implication of our findings is that states might utilize policymaking to protect component industries of their electricity sectors given Biden administration electricity policymaking, and another implication is that states might utilize the same process to protect non-fossil fuel-based sources of carbon emissions.