In recent years, especially under the Biden administration, there has been an unprecedented attack on the supply of reliable and affordable energy, from reducing oil and gas lease sales to the administration’s efforts to shift from reliable electricity sources to renewable energy sources. The partisan Inflation Reduction Act is a central piece of the harmful electrification effort that will undermine the electricity grid. If all of this was not bad enough, there are also governmental efforts to limit Americans from using reliable and affordable energy, such as efforts to severely limit the availability of gas-powered vehicles and bans on natural gas appliances.
Ensuring abundant, reliable, and affordable energy is a must, as is consumer freedom when it comes to energy. The Competitive Enterprise Institute advocates for policies to keep energy abundant, affordable, and competitive. Carbon fuels—coal, natural gas, and oil—provide about 80 percent of U.S. and global energy. They are the world’s dominant energy sources because, in most markets, they beat the alternatives in both cost and performance.
CEI is leading efforts to defend the personal energy choices of Americans. We advocate for policies that will stop government at all levels from banning or restricting what good and services Americans can choose to best meet their needs.
For decades, CEI has opposed regulatory overreach from the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies that put undue costs on energy industries and consumers. These include President Biden’s new power plant rule, the “Blackout Plan,” which would ignore the major questions problems detailed in West Virginia v. EPA, increase consumer electricity prices, and threaten grid reliability. CEI’s research and policy proposals have been instrumental on energy issues.
Featured Posts
Blog
A federal gas tax holiday won’t do much to ease the pain at the pump
The best policy ideas for making gasoline more affordable – faster permitting for domestic drilling and pipeline construction alongside fewer regulations targeting refineries or dictating…
Blog
Fly the (climate) friendly skies? Delta is having second thoughts
Delta Air Lines has quietly backed away from its pledge to use 10 percent sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) by 2030, citing the lack…
Blog
When solar tax incentives overheated, the residential solar market became scorched
Residential solar has long been sold as a win-win for consumers and the environment. It was marketed as an affordable way for homeowners to reduce…
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Comment
CEI Comments on The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Notice of Inquiry Regarding the Certification of New Natural Gas Facilities
This comment letter addresses questions C3, C4, C6, and C7, which concern whether, and if so how, FERC should take into account greenhouse gas (GHG)…
Blog
Last Chance for the 115th: Reforming the Renewable Fuel Standard
It has now been more than decade since the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was last revised, and the program is not getting any better with…
Blog
Trump Nominates Mary Neumayr and Dan Simmons
The White House has announced that President Donald J. Trump will nominate two individuals for positions of considerable importance to energy and environmental issues.
Blog
Solar ‘Incentives’ Are Busting Out All Over
Ever wonder why installations of household solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and utility-scale solar power have surged since 2014? The declining cost of solar technology is…
The Washington Times
Freezing the Paris Climate Accord is a job for the Senate
The Washington Times published an article written by Marlo Lewis reviewing the future of American energy independence and the shackling of the American economy under…
Blog
UK Climate Campaigners Demand More Market Rigging
Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom “are warning of a ‘dramatic and worrying collapse’ of clean energy investments in Great Britain in the last…
Blog
President Trump Replaces Obama Executive Order on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
President Donald Trump on May 17th issued an executive order that replaces a March 19th, 2015 executive order by President Barack Obama requiring all federal departments…
Blog
Justice Department Brief Defends Oil Companies against California City Lawsuits
The Department of Justice last week filed an amicus brief supporting oil companies’ motion to dismiss claims by the cities of Oakland and San Francisco that the firms…
Blog
Tell the Energy Department What You Think about Your Dishwasher
Thirty-five years ago, dishwashers cleaned dishes in about an hour. Sadly today, due to federal regulations, there are no dishwashers that do so. This isn’t progress—it’s…
Blog
Zero Emission Vehicles Can Increase Air Pollution: Study
A new report by economist Jonathan Lesser of the Manhattan Institute challenges the conventional wisdom that zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) are superior to new internal…
Blog
California to Require Solar Panels on New Homes
“California is set to become the first state to require solar panels on all newly built single-family houses,” the Los Angeles Times reports. Not…
4-traders
More than 50 Members, Stakeholders Call on Admin to Scrap Obama Mineral Withdrawals
4-traders cited the work of the Competitive Enterprise Institute in pressing reviews of Obama-era mineral withdrawals which were implemented without due consideration for the local…
Blog
Multi-State Petition against EPA Vehicle Standards Makes Weak Legal Case
California joined by 16 states and the District of Columbia yesterday petitioned the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to stop Environmental Protection Agency administrator…
The Hill
Pruitt’s Rule Ending Secret Science is Pro-science, Pro-consumer
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s proposed rule to increase public access to scientific data makes eminent sense, since transparency is a cornerstone of the scientific process. The public should…
Blog
House Panels Grill Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Pruitt
On April 26th, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt testified in separate hearings before the environment subcommittees of the House Energy and Commerce and…
Blog
Misfiring on All Cylinders: New York Times’ Attack on Pruitt’s Fuel Economy Reset
Greenhouse gas/fuel economy standards encourage automakers to reduce average vehicle size and weight. That is hardly surprising. It takes less fuel to move smaller, lighter…
Blog
Hope for Reforming Obama-Era Fuel Economy Mandates at EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency is approaching the April 1st deadline to complete its Midterm Evaluation of the Obama administration’s fuel economy and motor vehicle greenhouse…
Fox News
Earth Hour or Human Achievement Hour: Which is the enlightened choice?
Two very different events will take place from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, local time, around the world. Participants in Earth…
Blog
California Climate Change Litigation: Will Big Oil Learn How to Fight?
This week, Chevron lawyer Ted Boutrous told federal Judge William Alsup that “There’s no debate about climate science.” His company “accepts the consensus of the scientific…
Blog
Outlook for Economy’s ‘Master Resource’ Bright
Yesterday my colleague Marlo Lewis and I sat down for a Facebook Live interview (archived here) on this week’s big event, Human…
Blog
Liberate Dishwashers from Federal Efficiency Mandates
Thirty-five years ago dishwashers cleaned dishes in about an hour. Sadly, today there are no dishwashers that do so due to federal government regulations. This…
Blog
Everything You Need to Know about the Clean Power Plan
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, nineteen other state attorneys general, and the head of the Mississippi department of environmental quality recently filed a superb …
Blog
Some Critical Points Often Overlooked in the Climate Policy Debate
To date, the political process has determined that the potential risks of carbon dioxide regulation outweigh the benefits. That’s why despite more than 20 years…
CNBC
Trump Disappoints Fossil Fuel Proponents and Corn Belt Base as EPA Leaves Biofuels Program Mostly Unchanged
Marlo Lewis was cited by CNBC for the negative impact which not scaling back on the renewable fuel program will have on taxpayers and those…
Blog
Clean Power Plan: Just Repeal, Don’t Replace
The Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of repealing President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, the principal regulatory component of his Paris Climate Treaty emission-reduction…
Blog
Fourth National Climate Assessment: Pat Michaels Calls for “Reset” of U.S. Global Change Research Program
The comment period for the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Fourth National Climate Assessment closed on January 31, 2018. Cato Institute scientist Patrick Michaels identifies two…
Blog
CEI Asks State Department to Turn Over Records of Contacts with Paris Climate Treaty’s Media Cheerleaders
The Obama State Department pushed the line, via media contacts it called "validators," that the Paris Climate Agreement was not a treaty and didn’t need…
Politico
Paris Agreement Focus of FOIA Suit
Politico’s Morning Energy covers CEI’s FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. Department of State regarding Paris Climate Agreement documents. The Competitive Enterprise Institute will file…
The Daily Caller
State Dept Sued for Not Handing Over Paris Accord Docs
The Daily Caller covers CEI’s lawsuit against the U.S. State Department regarding Paris Climate Agreement documents. The State Department is being sued for concealing…
CNS News
Carbon Tax Is Political Poison for Conservative Movement
A carbon tax is political poison for conservatives and free marketers. The struggle for hearts and minds in this country is to no small degree…
The Washington Examiner
Anti-Climate Change Hawks Have a Bone to Pick with Trump, Too
The Washington Examiner discusses the endangerment finding with Myron Ebell. Climate change opponents are joining environmentalists in criticizing President Trump for not mentioning climate…
The Washington Free Beacon
Think Tank Requests SEC Investigation of California Governments Worried About Climate Change
The Washington Free Beacon covers CEI’s letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding potential bond fraud by California localities. A free-market think…
Politico
CEI Calls Foul on Climate Claims
Politico’s Morning Energy covers CEI’s letter to the SEC regarding potential municipal bond fraud by California localities. The Competitive Enterprise Institute sent a letter…
Blog
No Mention of Global Warming or Renewable Energy in State of the Union
This week’s address was the first State of the Union speech in eight years that didn’t mention global warming or climate change, and the first…
CNBC
Climate Skeptics and Coal Boosters Gather to Cheer Trump’s Energy Agenda — and Hold His Feet to the Fire
CNBC cited Myron Ebell on the developing successes by the Trump administration with its energy agenda as well as covered him biographically HOUSTON —…
Blog
The Politics of Groundhog Day
In honor of the classic Bill Murray film “Groundhog Day,” Reason TV has released a “horrifyingly relevant” parody video about the seemingly endless national…
The Daily Caller
Cities’ Global Warming Lawsuits Raise ‘Serious Questions of Bond Fraud,’ Attorneys Say
The Daily Caller covers CEI’s letter to the Securities Exchange Commision (SEC) notifying them of potential municipal bond fraud. A libertarian think tank has…
Breitbart
Exclusive–Trump’s EPA Transition Chair Myron Ebell: ‘Scrapping’ Clean Power Plan ‘Key Part of Deregulatory Agenda’
Breitbart has interviewed Myron Ebell on the negative effects which the Obama-era ‘Clean Power’ Plan brought forth including destablization of the American electrical grid, heightened…
The World Post
Trump Administration To Propose Scrapping Major Obama-Era Climate Change Policy
The World Post quoted Myron Ebell on the negative impacts of the ‘Clean Power’ Plan on domestic manufacturing industries as well as job growth.
The Hill
Overnight Energy: EPA to propose Clean Power Plan repeal | Pruitt takes on wind, solar tax credits | Committee to mark up antiquities reform
The Hill quoted Myron Ebell on the effects which the ‘Clean Power’ Plan raised consumer rates for electricity and threatened stability of America’s electrical grid. …
The Federalist
Here’s How Conservative Policy Wonks Grade Trump’s First Year
The Federalist discusses Trump’s first year in office with Myron Ebell. Daniel Drezner recently argued in The Washington Post that praise from the Right for President…
OneNewsNow
Manmade Pollutants Now Blamed for Global Cooling
OneNewsNow discusses a change in the rhetoric surrounding manmade pollutants with Chris Horner. The same “climate change” scientists and activists who have claimed for…
Associated Press
Citizens Showing Leadership in Climate Change Issues
Associated Press covers CEI’s opposition to a carbon tax. With President Donald Trump withdrawing the United States from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, Congress…
Bloomberg Politics
Trump Plays Down Health Hazard in Justifying Climate Rule Repeal
Bloomberg Politics quotes Myron Ebell on the importance of curbing Carbon Dioxide and how that should pose a greater priority to the Trump administration.
Free Beacon
Clean Power Plan Repeal Will Save $33 Billion in Compliance Costs
The Washington Free Beacon quotes Myron Ebell on her opinion of how cutting the Clean Power Plan will afford…
Time
Energy Companies Don’t Like the Clean Power Plan — or President Trump’s Plan to Kill It
Time quotes Myron Ebell about the ability of the Trump Administration to deregulate Power Plants. Donald Trump boasted last month that the Obama…
Washington Examiner
Repealing The Clean Power Plan Will Benefit All Americans
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt's proposal to repeal the so-called Clean Power Plan is the most notable step President Trump and his team have…
Blog
State of the Union: Trump Has Much to Take Credit for on Energy, Environment, and Climate
Message to President Trump on energy and environment issues: Don’t become comfortable with the status quo and sink back into the swamp; keep on doing…
The Washington Post
The Energy 202: The Conservative Backlash to Trump’s Solar Tariffs Begins
The Washington Post covers the Trump administration’s tariffs on solar panels. The U.S. solar industry was finally dealt a blow this week…
Politico
Trump’s Failing War on Green Power
Politico discusses the Trump administrations recent energy policies with Myron Ebell. President Donald Trump and Republicans have tried again and again during the past…
Staff & Scholars
Sam Kazman
Counsel Emeritus
- Antitrust
- Automobiles and Roads
- Banking and Finance
Paige Lambermont
Research Fellow
- Capitalism and Free Enterprise
- Energy
- Energy and Environment
Marlo Lewis, Jr.
Senior Fellow
- Climate
- Energy
- Energy and Environment
Ben Lieberman
Senior Fellow
- Climate
- Consumer Freedom
- Energy
Jacob Tomasulo
Policy Analyst
- Climate
- Energy
- Energy and Environment