Other smaller differences among the policies relate to automatic adjustment mechanisms, moratoriums on GHG-related regulations applied to stationary sources, and the interaction of a federal carbon price with existing state or regional carbon pricing. These differences are relatively minor.

On other details, the policies are virtually identical. Each provides rebates for emissions that are captured and utilized or sequestered and each provides a system (though the system varies across bills) that taxes the import of certain goods and/or rebates the export of certain goods, known as border adjustments, to maintain a balanced competitive environment for US producers and to prevent increases in emissions outside the United States.

Our Goulder-Hafstead E3 model (2013) predicts the change in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions from baseline, based on the proposed carbon price. Under the various proposals, emissions are projected to be between 3.12 (Coons) and 3.92 (Rooney) billion metric tons; thus, each policy is projected to deliver emissions reductions that far exceed the Paris targets (Figure 2).