Author Archive: Suzanne Mattei
Energy Policy Analyst and Team Facilitator Suzanne Mattei is an attorney (Yale Law School) with 30 years of experience in public interest law and policy. She is also a former regional director for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
IEEFA Europe: Proposed INEOS cracker plant would oversupply ethylene market
INEOS Project ONE in Antwerp conflicts with EU’s aggressive program to reduce plastics use
December 9, 2021 (IEEFA) — INEOS Group’s proposed Project ONE ethane cracker plant in Antwerp, Belgium, is a risky venture in an already well-supplied market, according to a briefing note by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. If approved, the project would appear to be at odds with the European Union’s aggressive long-term […]
IEEFA U.S.: Essential plastics industry enjoys “fantastic” profits with no regulation
Plastics industry profits soar even in wake of COVID-19, weather-related issues
A recent IEEFA report on plastics pricing and the case for regulation of the industry has been released at a time of market tumult. Plastic resin producers are boosting prices and enjoying “fantastic” profits. Since last year, polypropylene prices have increased more than 100% and high-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, and low-density polyethylene are seeing […]
IEEFA U.S.: Skyrocketing plastics prices a major concern for public health, economy
An ‘essential industry’ to the U.S. economy runs in the dark
October 18, 2021 (IEEFA) — Despite its growing importance to the U.S. economy, the nation’s plastics industry remains a heavily concentrated sector taking advantage of an opaque, unregulated price-setting mechanism to bolster profits for major oil and gas companies, as well as plastic producers. The sector, which has increased prices throughout the year, was deemed […]
IEEFA U.S.: Plastics tax debate is health and safety issue for rest of U.S.
“Positive” contributions of plastic out of alignment with pollution, climate, public health concerns
The debate in Washington over taxing virgin plastics is worth watching. The issues are much bigger than a tax-aggrieved industry versus a government in need of cash for new investments. It is more than the American Chemistry Council, which opposes a tax, versus Democratic leaders like U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Tom Suozzi, who […]
IEEFA U.S.: Army Corps of Engineers requires full environmental review for Formosa petrochemical project in Louisiana
Decision made as heavily polluted Louisiana community continues to battle Formosa
A massive petrochemical complex proposed for an already heavily polluted community in Louisiana must undergo a thorough and public environmental analysis. The Army Corps of Engineers has reversed its earlier position and issued an Aug. 18 memorandum directing officials to prepare a full environmental impact statement (EIS) to assess the potential environmental impacts of the […]
IEEFA: Private equity, part of the fossil fuel problem, can play a role in its solution
Big private equity funds keep building fossil assets while shifting into renewables
How can private equity financing be utilized as a tool for climate solutions? Over the last few weeks, the problem of how private equity (PE) financiers are contributing to some of the worst aspects of climate-destroying investments has become clear at the macro level, with a Private Equity Stakeholder Project report on investments by 10 […]