To explore the uncertainty associated with the assumption of current laws and regulations in its Reference case, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) will release an Issue in Focus article to its Annual Energy Outlook 2020 (AEO2020) later today. The AEO2020 Reference case generally assumes existing laws and regulations remain as enacted. However, policies that target emissions reductions have changed significantly over time. The EIA Issue in Focus article discusses results from sensitivity cases associated with four alternative policy topics, with varying effects on projected U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2050.
