"Groups like the Institute for Energy Research think tank, however, contend that a cap-and-trade program is not a free-market solution." This is false thinking! Externalizing the cost of pollution, collecting the proper fees (not taxes) and distributing the proceeds to those harmed by the pollution (all of us) is very much in line with free markets. The novelty here is that all the players in the market have a say. The cost of energy is not increased; it is just properly book kept!