HR 763, British Columbia carbon tax not the same

Re: “HR 763 lowers the price of low-carbon goods” (Letters to the editor, Feb. 8):

Stephan Crothers claims that Nobel laureate economist William Nordhaus’ approval of British Columbia’s carbon tax demonstrates support for HR 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, because both rebate the taxes to households as dividends.

But the two pieces of legislation are actually very different. British Columbia’s carbon tax rises gradually and is set to peak at $50 per ton in 2022.

In contrast, the carbon tax of HR 763 has no peak. It rises relentlessly $10 per ton every year until CO2 emissions are reduced by 90 percent.

— Michael Peercy, Los Altos