Potential Carbon Cost Hike Spurs Fears of Energy Project Delays

The Biden administration’s move toward expanding the “social cost of carbon” measurement to better account for broad climate change impacts has industry groups and corporate attorneys worried it could slow or halt some big energy projects—though it might also boost renewable sources.

A White House panel in February set an interim figure of $51 per ton as the social, health, and economic cost of emissions, reversing a Trump-era move that slashed it to as little as $1 a ton. Final—and many expect, higher—cost figures for carbon dioxide and two other greenhouse gases are expected in January that will influence federal ...