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
CEI’s The Surge: California waivers, IRIS, and more
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication and…

News Release
House moves to stop California ban on gas-powered cars: CEI statement
The House today overwhelmingly passed a resolution rejecting a Biden-era EPA waiver allowing California to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. By…

Blog
President Trump’s three new energy executive orders: A quick overview
On April 8, President Trump signed three new executive orders (EOs) that address the United States’s energy sector. The key themes of the EOs include…
Search Posts
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: California waivers, IRIS, and more
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication and…
News Release
House moves to stop California ban on gas-powered cars: CEI statement
The House today overwhelmingly passed a resolution rejecting a Biden-era EPA waiver allowing California to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. By…
Letters
CEI joins ATR in a Call for Repealing Green New Deal Subsidies in Reconciliation
We, the undersigned organizations, are writing in support of repealing the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) green new deal subsidies to pay for tax cuts in…
Blog
President Trump’s three new energy executive orders: A quick overview
On April 8, President Trump signed three new executive orders (EOs) that address the United States’s energy sector. The key themes of the EOs include…
Blog
Congress needs to repeal the Biden EPA and California attack on gas-powered cars
The attack on gas-powered vehicles exists on multiple fronts, including through federal and state regulation.Regarding federal regulation, much of the attention has been focused on…
News Release
Senate votes to repeal Biden rule against water heaters
Today the U.S. Senate voted on a joint resolution to repeal a Biden-era Energy Department rule imposing unwarranted energy efficiency restrictions on consumer water…
Daily Caller
GOP-Led Congress Deals Fatal Blow To Biden’s War On Refrigerators
Daily Caller cited CEI’s expert on energy conservation standards DOE officials said they wanted to impose newer energy conservation standards. The Washington, D.C.-based…
News Release
Congress passes resolution repealing Biden energy rule against freezers, walk-in coolers: CEI statement
Congress successfully passed a resolution repealing a Biden Energy Department rule that would have imposed needless restrictions on walk-in coolers and freezers. CEI energy policy…
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: The EPA, WOTUS, and more
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication and…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: An affordable and reliable future with Gabriella Hoffman
In this week’s episode we cover Republicans for the Green New Deal, diminishing returns from industrial policy in China, and the bottleneck…
Blog
Belgium has learned nothing from Germany’s nuclear phaseout
Doel Unit 1 was shut down in February as part of the country’s nuclear phaseout policy. In 2021, more than half of Belgium’s power came from…
Blog
The true cost of the Inflation Reduction Act
The increasingly poorly named Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed by President Biden in 2022, comes with incredible costs. These come from massive spending, like tax credits and…
Comment
Comment on Interim Final Rule, Removal of National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations
Dear Council on Environmental Quality: I appreciate the opportunity to comment on the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) interim final rule removing its National Environmental…
Blog
Is the Solar for All program authorized?
In 2022, Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) without a single Republican vote in the House or Senate.One of the most controversial IRA…
News Release
Report: Energy Infrastructure in Dire Need of Reforms for our AI Future
America’s homes, businesses, and industries rely on the nation’s electric grid system, but that system faces big challenges. A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report examines…
Study
Powering Intelligence: Meeting AI’s Energy Needs in a Changing Electricity Landscape
Introduction The electric grid is one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure underpinning modern life, yet it faces growing threats from increased demand, regulatory…
The Washington Times
The true story behind the ‘gold bars’ at the heart of Trump’s biggest climate fight
The Washington Post quoted CEI’s expert on the EPA Daren Bakst, director of the Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a…
Real Clear Investigations
The Greenhouse Gas Windfalls Blew Hard for Solar in the Biden EPA
Real Clear Investigations cited CEI’s expert on the EPA “At a minimum, it is questionable how the Biden EPA decided to award the $7 billion,…
C-SPAN
Daren Bakst and Joe Bonfiglio on Proposed EPA Regulatory Rollbacks
CEI’s Daren Bakst appeared on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal this morning on a panel discussing the rollback of the EPA Watch more at C-SPAN…
Blog
Trump cancels Biden’s heat pump crisis
It isn’t easy figuring out the single most ridiculous Biden administration climate policy, but its declaration that electric heat pumps are critical to the…
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Leaders Applaud EPA’s Historic Deregulatory Actions to Power the Great American Comeback
The United States Environmental Protection Agency cited CEI’s expert on the EPA’s deregulatory actions Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Director of Center for Energy and Environment Daren…
The New York Times
E.P.A. Declares ‘Greatest Day of Deregulation Our Nation Has Seen’
The New York Times Cited CEI’s expert on the EPA Groups that deny the established science of climate change also cheered Mr. Zeldin’s actions. “The…
Real Clear Investigations
A New Beltway Mystery: Follow the Biden EPA Money
Real Clear investigations cited CEI’s expert on the EPA’s spending “I think it will be an uphill battle to recover the money, but it’s…
News Release
EPA Administrator Zeldin announces major deregulatory actions as part of the “Power the Great American Comeback” initiative
Today, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a series of major deregulatory reforms, including a reconsideration of the Obama-era “Endangerment Finding,” which…
Blog
Plans to build gas plants respond to increased power demand
Energy companies respond to surging AI demand with behind-the-meter solutions. Rising power demand, led by the buildout of data centers for Artificial Intelligence (AI), is leading…
News Release
Competitive Enterprise Institute releases new book as the first part of a major project dedicated to reforming the EPA
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) released a new book, Modernizing the EPA: A Blueprint for Congress, as the first part of a long-term…
Products
Modernizing the EPA: Key Issues at a Glance
This section lists the key issues discussed in the book that Congress should address. Below these issues are specific recommendations for how Congress can address…
Products
Modernizing Chemical Regulations and Other Critical Regulatory Issues
This chapter examines the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that implement several environmental statutes: The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which regulates the production, importation,…
Products
Modernizing Air Regulation
The United States has clean air. Over 50 years ago, nobody could have accurately made this claim. However, for decades, the nation’s air quality has…
Products
Modernizing Water Regulation
Improving and protecting the nation’s water quality has been one of the hallmark achievements of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its Office of Water…
Products
Introduction
Over a year ago, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) decided to undertake a major project to reform the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Other agencies could…
Products
Modernizing EPA Science Policies
“Science is the foundation that supports all of our work at EPA,” the first sentence of the agency’s Peer Review Handbook declares. The document continues:…
Products
Modernizing the EPA: Beyond Regulation
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulatory power warrants most of the attention when it comes to modernizing the agency. However, there are numerous non-regulatory programs…
Study
Modernizing the EPA: A Blueprint for Congress
Forward Kent Lassman, President of the Competitive Enterprise Institute President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Reorganization Plan No. 3 of…
RealClear Energy
SEC’s Climate Risk Disclosure Rule Would Compel Companies to Make Scientifically False and Misleading Disclosures
In March last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued its climate risk disclosure rule, called “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors.” …
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: CRA resolutions, Climate Disclosure Rule, and more
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication and…
News Release
BP embraces petroleum again
British Petroleum is reportedly reembracing its core mission of producing petroleum instead of ESG-related ventures it has been trumpeting and spending money on. CEI…
Blog
SEC abandons legal arguments in favor of climate disclosure rule
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced this month that it will no longer defend the indefensible, abandoning in court its arguments favoring mandatory…
Blog
Lawsuit by Texas, Utah could change small reactor regulation
The states of Texas and Utah—along with Last Energy, a company that builds small modular reactors—are suing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), arguing that it…
News Release
CEI-led coalition urges Congress to end Green New Deal policies embedded in the Inflation Reduction Act
The Competitive Enterprise Institute today sent a coalition letter to Congress urging lawmakers to make it a priority to get rid of the Inflation Reduction…
Blog
House should support the Protecting American Energy Production Act
This week the House of Representatives is expected to consider the Protecting American Energy Production Act (H.R. 26), which was introduced by Rep.
The Independent Institute
Wind and Solar Tax Credits are Destroying the Grid
Rising power demand is revealing the fatal flaw in the increasing penetration of wind and solar on the grid. It’s time to admit that enough…
Blog
Gas stoves are great
The recent approval of a ballot initiative in Washington state to protect natural gas access for consumers has me ruminating on the gas stove issue. I have…
Blog
Congress needs to undo Biden’s sweeping attack on offshore drilling
Today, President Joe Biden announced that he is blocking more than 625 million acres of US ocean from future offshore drilling. The two…
Blog
Electric grid reliability at elevated risk, new report warns
The North American Reliability Corporation (NERC) released its 2024 Long-Term Reliability Assessment Tuesday. This report examines the challenges the power grid will face over the …
Blog
Meta takes a unique approach to nuclear-powered data centers
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is soliciting bids from nuclear developers to deliver between one and four Gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity by the…
Blog
New Jersey should rethink its nuclear power ban
Right now, the state of New Jersey has a significant amount of offshore wind power planned for the near future. As part of its net…
Comment
Department of Energy, Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Dishwashers. Comments of the Competitive Enterprise Institute
Comments of the Competitive Enterprise Institute I. SUMMARY The Notification of Proposed Confirmation of Withdrawal and Request for Comment (proposal) seeks to terminate Department…
Blog
Concerning transmission provisions in the Energy Permitting Reform Act
As Congress enters its lame duck period, the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, introduced by Senators Joe Manchin (I-WV) and John Barrasso (R-WY),…
New York Post
As EPA czar, Lee Zeldin should scrap these three awful Biden rules FAST
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) to serve as the new Environmental Protection Agency administrator. Once confirmed, he’ll have a big…
Forbes
Court’s NEPA Ruling Casts Doubt On CEQ Authority
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals dropped a bombshell this week that could reshape how federal agencies implement environmental laws. In …
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Nuclear renaissance with Nick Loris
In this week’s episode we cover a new vision for the Securities and Exchange Commission, affordable housing in Hong Kong, and how…
Blog
New nuclear deals are good for technology and the power grid
Headlines over the last month have cropped up about technology companies signing various deals with companies in the nuclear power space. First Constellation Energy and…
Fox News
Biden-Harris still hate your gas stove, you won’t believe how much
The Biden-Harris administration insists that gas stoves are not being targeted. Don’t believe a word of it. This kitchen controversy erupted in…
Blog
New poll shows Pennsylvanians are concerned about energy affordability
A recent Commonwealth Foundation poll shows Pennsylvania residents are concerned about high energy costs and reliability. The poll, conducted in September, used a sample of 800…
News Release
Report: Washington state environmental permitting reform needs further fixing
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report provides an in-depth analysis of Washington state’s environmental permitting record. Washington has reformed several aspects of its permitting…
Daily Caller
‘Climate Extremism’: Biden-Harris Admin’s Own Data Undermines Its Fav Selling Point In Push To ‘Electrify Everything’
Daily caller cited CEI’s expert on energy sources for households “The Department of Energy has consistently shown that natural gas is a much…
Op-Eds
New Poll Shows Pennsylvanians Are Concerned About Energy Affordability
A recent Commonwealth Foundation poll shows Pennsylvania residents are concerned about high energy costs and reliability. The poll, conducted in September, used a sample of 800…
Real Clear Investigations
Overnight Success: Biden’s Climate Splurge Gives Billions to Nonprofit Newbie
Real Clear Investigations cited CEI’s expert on Biden’s Climate Splurge Daren Bakst, director of the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment and a…
News Release
Disappointing: Supreme Court takes a pass on Biden climate rule for now
The Supreme Court for now declined to block a Biden administration rule that would impose harsh emissions rules on power plants. CEI energy policy expert…
Econlib
Acemoglu and Robinson Basically Ignored Adam Smith
Econlib cited CEI experts on economist article Acemoglu and Robinson do discuss recent empirical research by economic historians. The book is compelling and highly readable…
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: Nuclear Supreme Court case, the ADVANCE Act, and more
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication and special…
Blog
Nuclear sites ripe for development
A new study commissioned by the Department of Energy shows the potential for siting new nuclear reactors at existing and recently retired nuclear power plant sites across…
Blog
Germany is smug about its energy errors
A tweet last week from the German Foreign Office doubled down on the country’s failing approach to energy. Germany decided to shut down its 17 nuclear…
Blog
UK closes last coal plant
For the first time in 142 years, Britain has no coal power plants. But what are they doing instead? Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station, Britain’s lone…
Independent Women's Forum
U.K. Closes Last Coal Plant
How will they replace that power? Their strategy leaves something to be desired. This final coal closure comes at a time when price caps on…
Capital Research Center
Episode 336: Do You Need To Stock Up On Toilet Paper?
Capital Research Council cited CEI’s expert on the state of the economy As the country moves through a contentious election season, where the state…
Econlib
Tolstoy, Kirzner, and Happiness as a Process
A recent Liberty Fund Virtual Reading Group explored the theme of joy in Leo Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina. For Tolstoy, happiness is not an end state…
Catalyst
Nuclear Sites Ripe for Development
A new study commissioned by the Department of Energy shows the potential for siting new nuclear reactors at existing and recently retired nuclear power plant sites across…
Catalyst
Germany Is Smug About Its Energy Errors
Read more at the Catalyst…
Politico
Republicans have a post-pandemic plan for the scientific establishment
Politico cites CEI expert post-pandemic plans “You have the NIH in the sights of people who think there were big failures during the pandemic and…
Comment
CEI Comments on Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Refrigerators, Freezers, and Refrigerator-Freezers
Department of Energy, Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Refrigerators, Freezers, and Refrigerator-Freezers; Notification of Data Availability and Request for Comment Docket Number…
News Release
Report highlights the positives of Iowa’s environmental permitting process
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report highlights the achievements Iowa has accomplished in improving its environmental permitting system, making infrastructure projects and economic growth…
Study
Corn Whiskey Clarity
Over the past two decades, Iowa has implemented several reforms aimed at enhancing the efficiency of its environmental permitting procedures. This report focuses on two…
The Dispatch
Where Does Poverty Come From?
The Dispatch cited CEI’s experts on economic affairs Kevin D. Williamson is national correspondent at The Dispatch and is based in Virginia. Prior to joining…
Blog
Switzerland should reverse its nuclear power plant ban
Despite nuclear energy’s myriad benefits, many countries—and several US states—maintain bans on the construction of new nuclear power plants. This phenomenon is especially puzzling in…
News Release
House set to rebuke EPA’s de facto EV mandate
Director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment Daren Bakst: “The very idea that the federal government would try and kill off…
Blog
House expected to consider legislation to block EPA’s ‘EV mandate’
This week the House is expected to consider a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) April 2024 rule…
NTD
Rate Cut Won’t Lead to Higher Inflation, But Signals Recession Concerns: Economist
NTD discusses economic issues with CEI Senior economist…
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: HUD hiking housing costs, wind and solar subsidies, and more
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication…
Blog
Will Big Nuclear make a comeback?
Following Georgia Power Plant Vogtle Unit 4’s completion and coming online earlier this year, there aren’t any outstanding large nuclear reactors under construction in the United…
Blog
The problem with power subsidies
A new paper from the Energy Alliance highlights one of the biggest causes of rising unreliability on the electricity grid: subsidies. The report’s author, Bill Peacock,…
Fox News
Energy groups pan Biden-Harris $7.3B ‘clean energy’ spending ahead of battleground visit
Fox News cited CEI’s experts on environmental policy “Rather than forcing on rural Americans’ energy sources they don’t want, the administration ought to…
Forbes
Unpacking The Pros And Cons Of The Energy Permitting Reform Act Of 2024
As the 118th Congress winds down, Senators Joe Manchin (I-WV) and John Barrasso (R-WY) have introduced the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024.
News Release
On the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, massive coalition urges Congress to dismantle the law’s anti-energy policies
The Competitive Enterprise Institute today sent a coalition letter signed by more than 50 conservative and free market organizations to Congress urging the dismantling…
Letters
Inflation Reduction Act Two Year Anniversary Letter
Dear Members of Congress: Today marks the second anniversary of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), and the critics of its costly and…
News Release
Final gas stove rule an excuse for overregulation: CEI analysis
The Department of Energy has pushed back against criticism of its final gas stove rule, claiming that there is no reason to withdraw the rule.
Blog
Uncertain grids, growing market: The rise of backup power solutions in the US
In recent years, the generator market has seen remarkable growth, with more consumers opting for backup power solutions than ever before. The US generator sales…
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: Loper Bright, nuclear exports, and more
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication…
Blog
America should emulate South Korea on nuclear energy
A South Korean company, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, just received a $17.3 billion dollar contract to construct two new nuclear power plants for the Czech Republic.
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: Carbon taxes, Chevron, nuclear bill becomes law, & more!
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication…
Blog
House Interior and Environment spending bill: Critical provisions and amendments
This week, the House is expected to take up the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025 (H.R. 8998). The…
RealClear Energy
The SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rule Is a Dark Cloud Over Energy Abundance
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) climate disclosure rule posts real problems for public companies. The SEC’s mission is to do facilitate capital formation and…
Blog
Generator sales are rising… And there’s good reason
I bought a house earlier this year, and to my absolute delight, it came with a built in 16 kilowatt (kW) generator, plenty of power for…
Investigate Midwest
Farm programs, USDA would shrink under Project 2025 goals for ag
Investigate Midwest cites Daren Bakst on Project 2025: So, what about the author? Daren Bakst wrote the agriculture chapter in Project 2025. He is now…
Blog
The deregulation maverick
A deregulation wave occurred in the American economic landscape in the late 1970s, particularly in the utility and airlines sectors. This shift was driven by…
Blog
Energy freedom on the ballot in Washington State
Climate change policies tend to become unpopular as soon as the public realizes the effects such policies will have on them. That certainly is the…
Washington Examiner
Conservatives must remain committed to dismantling the IRA’s “green” subsidies
The Inflation Reduction Act is partisan legislation packed with what could amount to more than one trillion dollars in “green” …
News Release
Report: Nine essential principles for the power grid
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report calls on legislators to consider nine important principles for the power grid before passing any legislation that could…
Study
How to Keep the Lights On
A reliable electrical grid is essential to all aspects of daily life. Power keeps the lights on, appliances running, and keeps our homes warm on…
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