From 2009-17, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carried out “a regulatory spree unprecedented in U.S. history”—in scope, stringency, and costs, and with highly questionable justifi- cation. The costs of EPA rules dwarf the costs of all other executive branch agencies by a huge margin, accounting for $23 billion of $26 billion total regulatory costs in 2010. While the national econ- omy has been impaired, Texas’ prominent industrial and energy sectors were disproportionately affected.
Water Markets in Texas
Texas water law should be updated to embrace free market transactions that have been incorporated into other Texas statutes governing markets such as electricity, telecommunications, and insurance. Key points: The best instrument for optimizing allocation of scarce water resources is the exercise of private property rights in a competitive marketplace, otherwise known as a water...