How one obscure federal agency is clearing the path for a US carbon price

Most economists agree that the single most effective policy to spur a transition to cleaner forms of energy is to put a price on carbon emissions. If fossil fuels were much more expensive to burn, then power companies, factories, drivers, and other consumers of oil, gas, and coal would have an incentive to switch to renewables, even without special tax credits or mandates. Setting the right carbon price is a minefield of assumptions.