C3 Journal on
Essays, evidence, and original arguments from the writers shaping this conversation.
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All essays
Energy
If you ask the average person what the biggest technology breakthrough since the turn of the century has been, the smartphone is a safe bet for the most common answer. Recency bias could lead to some artificial intelligence (AI) responses. Unless you’re in the business or completely fixated with Landman, it’s unclear how many folks are saying the Shale Revolution.
Conservation
Last month, Utah and the U.S. Forest Service announced a new partnership to accelerate forest restoration, reduce wildfire risk, and improve forest management across the state. Known as a shared stewardship agreement, the partnership establishes a long-term cooperative framework through which the state and federal government jointly set restoration priorities and coordinate the use of existing authorities to carry them out.
Policy
A new idea has emerged in the federal permitting reform space: “de-risking” permits via a government-managed insurance program. The context for this development is that investors lack confidence in their ability to secure federal permits due to the power of political appointees at permitting agencies to delay, cancel, or revoke permits. This has resulted in a new permitting reform priority: “permitting certainty,” or the notion that a permit, once granted, won’t be reversed under a future administration. While this is a laudable goal, policymakers must appreciate that government interventions can make these problems worse.
Conservation
Washington, D.C., may long be tired of the frigid temps, above-average snowfall, and icy roads. But out West, signs reading “Pray for snow” are everywhere. Utah Governor Spencer Cox even encouraged Utahns to join together in prayer for snow.
Policy
The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent decision to temporarily stop assigning dollar values to the projected health benefits of reducing fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone has sparked renewed controversy over air pollution regulation. As I discussed last week, the agency framed the move as a response to persistent uncertainty in estimating PM2.5 health effects, not as a withdrawal from regulating air pollution or considering public health impacts.
Policy
As energy affordability becomes an increasing concern and energy demand continues to rise, America’s ability to efficiently permit and build infrastructure will be crucial to its success. Last month, the EPA proposed reforming the Clean Water Act’s Section 401. This isn’t just a good idea. It’s long overdue.
Energy
The Department of Energy recently announced that certain advanced nuclear reactor projects can qualify for a categorical exclusion from the National Environmental Policy Act’s (NEPA) full review process. The move is a practical step forward to accelerate innovation, reduce unnecessary cost and delay, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness in nuclear energy.
Conservation
A recent report from ConservAmerica analyzed two decades of energy and infrastructure projects to quantify the ESA’s effects. What it found is that the United States regularly spends billions of dollars fighting over endangered species in court when it should prioritize preventative conservation and economic incentives.
Policy
The report from Americans For Prosperity details a 21 percent increase in electricity prices between 2020 and 2024, including a four percent increase from 2023 to 2024 alone. While fuel prices, weather, and inflation all play a role, the report argues that a major, underappreciated driver of higher bills is America’s broken energy permitting system.
Agriculture
When most Americans talk about agriculture, they don’t start with emissions targets or land-use debates. They start with the price of food. Often, the mainstream environmental movement overlooks this reality, prioritizing solutions that may reduce environmental impacts but risk undermining an affordable, abundant, and reliable food supply. C3 Solutions’ research shows this is a false tradeoff. Innovation is the path to lower food prices, stronger farm economies, and better environmental outcomes.
