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

News Release
EPA proposes rule to overturn regulatory finding justifying major restrictions on consumer choice: CEI analysis
Today, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency’s proposed rule that would overturn the 2009 endangerment finding. For 16 years, this finding has been…
E&E News
EPA seeks to limit its power to curb climate pollution
“There is a compelling argument that the major questions doctrine by itself would prohibit the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases,” said Daren Bakst, director of…

Blog
Congress should recognize the importance of prescribed burns
The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six major air pollutants:…
Search Posts
Newsletter
Subprime Accusations, Russia’s Energy Politics and ACORN’s Shady History
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) plays the race card in the debate over subprime mortgages. Russian officials play politics with energy supplies throughout Eastern Europe. Law…
Citation
carbon credits in the bailout bill
Op-Eds
Will More Drilling Increase U.S. Energy Security?
Iain Murray Mr. Abraham’s Parthian shot in this debate is a precise example of why I feared it would disappear in…
Citation
carbon dioxide cap-and-trade schemes
Op-Eds
Picking on the Pickens Plan?
Billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens’ camp responded last week to this column’s multi-part analysis of the so-called “Pickens Plan.” Focusing on…
News Release
Walk in the Rain for World ‘Car-Free Day’
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News Release
T. Boone Pickens Touts Windwill in Nat’l. Press Club Speech Today
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Newsletter
Congress Does Energy, Lehman Bankruptcy and Price Gouging
The House of Representatives considers a new bill on offshore oil drilling. The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers shakes confidence in the U.S. economy. Texas Attorney…
Op-Eds
No Compromise in this Energy Bill
There is very little in this bill that energy consumers can be glad about. But the environmental industry's lobby has reason to cheer.
Newsletter
Lehman Brothers, Flood Insurance and Energy Independence
Lehman Brothers files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Members of Congress consider reforming the National Flood Insurance Program. Democrats and Republicans debate U.S. offshore oil…
News Release
Pelosi’s Anti-Energy Bill Hits House Floor
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Op-Eds
Pickens’ Natural-Gas Nonsense
"Get this one," says billionaire T. Boone Pickens in his latest TV ad, "Iran is changing its cars to natural gas and we're not doing…
News Release
CEI Launches YouTube Contest for Video Critiques of ‘World Car-Free Day’
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News Release
House Energy Plan Would Raise Gas Prices and Lower Domestic Production
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Newsletter
Offshore Drilling, Mortgage Bailouts and Union Campaigns
Democrats propose a compromise plan for drilling in U.S. offshore oil fields. Troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are de-listed from the S&P…
Op-Eds
EU’s Wrongheaded Climate Policy
Assuming that fighting climate change is desirable and that it can be effectively done by limiting man-made CO2 emissions, it is best achieved by making…
Newsletter
Banning Grocery Bags, Hurricane Gustav and Pelosi on Oil Drilling
Lawmakers in Hawaii join others in San Francisco and Los Angeles in voting to ban plastic grocery bags. Hurricane Gustav blasts past Jamaica on its…
Products
CEI Planet: September – October 2008
View the new Montly Planet by downloading the PDF of the issue. Below you’ll find previews of the articles in this issue:…
Citation
greenhouse gas regulations
Op-Eds
Debunking Democrats on Drilling
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last Tuesday dismissively referred to pro-oil-drilling demonstrators chanting “Drill here! Drill now!” as the “2-cents-in-10-years-crowd.” She may have to revise her…
Newsletter
Offshore Drilling, Union Corruption and Power Politics in Russia
Santa Barbara County, California considers supporting oil drilling off its coastline. Corruption charges against leaders of the Service Employees International Union crop up in yet…
Newsletter
Oil Speculators, Immunity for Phone Companies and Global Warming Reports
Members of Congress blame oil “speculators” for driving up the cost of oil with their investments. Legal wrangling continues over Congress’ grant of immunity to…
Newsletter
Hurricane Damage, Wind Power and Comcast in the Crosshairs
Florida residents watch the shifting course of Tropical Storm Fay. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveils a plan to build a series of windmills…
Op-Eds
Oil Speculators ‘R’ Us
Those dastardly speculators! As well as oil company CEOs, traders in commodity futures have become convenient whipping boys for politicians of both…
Newsletter
Renewable Energy, Anti-Whaling Protesters, and Fed Chairman Bernanke
The state of Colorado expands requirements for the use of renewable power. Japanese authorities plan to arrest anti-whaling protesters from the group Sea Shepherd. Federal…
Newsletter
Day Laborers in LA, Nuclear Power and Corporate Finance
Los Angeles lawmakers require home improvement stores to construct shelters for day laborers who wait for work in their parking lots. Electricity provider Constellation Energy…
Op-Eds
Environmentalists Prompt Nuclear Power Wake-Up Call
What did the nuclear power industry get for playing footsie with the "greens" on global warming? A knife in the back, it looks like. The…
Newsletter
Global Warming Apathy, Pelosi on Oil Drilling and Government Health Care
A new survey suggests that public concern about global warming is on the decline. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reverses her opposition to a vote on…
Newsletter
Home Schooling, Online Privacy and Oil Drilling
A California appeals court issues a major new ruling on home schooling. Members of Congress investigate online privacy and the use of “behavioral advertising.” New…
Citation
Offshore Oil Drilling
Newsletter
Video Gamers Win in Court, Free Speech on Campus and the Impact of Biofuels
The state of California is ordered to pay video game makers $280,000 in legal fees over an unconstitutional law that sought to restrict game sales.
Newsletter
Obama on Offshore Drilling, Tobacco Lawyer Goes to Prison and Video Game Violence
Sen. Barack Obama changes his position on offshore oil drilling. One of the nation’s richest attorneys begins a prison sentence for bribery. The government of…
Citation
Barack Obama’s energy policy
Newsletter
Bottled Water, Government Bonds and Wind Power
California’s attorney general threatens to sue Nestlé over a bottled water plant’s alleged environmental impacts. House Financial Services Committee chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) champions legislation…
Op-Eds
Pickens Gives New Meaning to ‘Self-Government’
The more you learn about T. Boone Pickens’ plan to switch America to wind power, the more you realize that he seems willing to say…
Newsletter
Whole Foods Merger, Ethanol’s Impact and Health Savings Accounts
A federal court calls into question the recent merger of Whole Foods and Wild Oats natural food stores. South Asian leaders meet to discuss food…
Newsletter
Ethanol’s Sins, Menthol Cigarettes and Property Rights
USA Today details the troubling side effects of using corn-based ethanol as an auto fuel. Legislation to give the Food and Drug Administration authority over…
Newsletter
Fairness Doctrine, Wind Power and Flood Insurance
Lawmakers debate the return of the “Fairness Doctrine” for news broadcasts. Famed Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens launches a multimedia campaign to replace oil use…
Op-Eds
Is T. Boone Pickens ‘Swiftboating’ America?
Liberals have done a U-turn on conservative billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens.
Newsletter
Housing Bill, XM-Sirius Merger, and Energy Conservation
The Senate passes a housing bill that includes a new mandatory fingerprint registry. FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein signals he may cast his deciding vote to…
Newsletter
Al Gore’s Energy Plan, Fannie Mae’s Lobbying Bill and Intel’s Legal Troubles
Al Gore delivers a major speech calling for the U.S. to eliminate all fossil fuel use in the next ten years. The Associated Press reports…
Op-Eds
Junk Science: Conservation Nation?
President Bush almost got it right this week when he declined to call on Americans to conserve energy. Sadly, he still seems to think that…
Newsletter
Bank Failure, Offshore Oil Drilling and Online Gambling
The multi-billion dollar failure of IndyMac bank in California fuels calls for greater government regulation of financial institutions. President Bush lifts the White House ban…
Newsletter
Bank Failure, EPA Reports and the Future of Wind Power
Federal officials seize control of IndyMac bank in the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history. An Environmental Protection Agency report casts doubt on whether greenhouse…
News Release
EPA Draft CO2 Emissions Regulations Headed Toward Regulatory Train Wreck
Washington, D.C., July 11, 2008—The White House announced today that the Environmental Protection Agency’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on regulating carbon dioxide emissions…
Newsletter
Internet Privacy, Greenhouse Gases and Offshore Drilling
Senators hear testimony on the privacy implications of online advertising. Developing nations reject the plan for cutting greenhouse gases created by leaders of the “Group…
Op-Eds
The Wind Cries ‘Bailout!’
Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens launched a media blitz this week to announce his plan for us "to escape the grip of foreign oil." Now…
Human Events
The Wastefulness of Ethanol
Human Events discusses the efficiency of ethanol compared to gasoline with Iain Murray. Moreover, that one gallon of ethanol that is produced through…
Newsletter
Oil Prices, Housing Markets and Power Plants
The president of OPEC predicts even higher oil prices in the near future. Washington, D.C. suburb Fairfax County, Virginia plans to spend $10 million to…
Op-Eds
Georgia Gets Green ‘Justice’
Vicki Lawrence’s 1972 hit "The night the lights went out in Georgia" may become the official state song thanks to what passes for justice in…
Newsletter
Air Travel Taxes, Illegal Produce and Hybrid Subsidies
Global warming taxes on airline travel mean fewer visitors to Amsterdam’s airport. European Union inspectors force a produce seller in the UK to throw out…
Newsletter
Credit Card Fines, Offshore Drilling and Mortgage Securities
Visa and MasterCard agree to pay American Express $4 billion for allegedly violating antitrust laws. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger slams proposals…
Op-Eds
Where’s McCain’s ‘Fuel Cell Express’?
NASA’s James Hansen tried this week to surf the 20th anniversary of his famous congressional testimony that launched global warming hysteria. Apparently not wanting to…
Comment
Testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Introduction Chairman Markey, Chairman Eshoo, Ranking Member Sensenbrenner, Ranking Member Issa, and Committee Members: Thank you for the opportunity to share my views on global…
Newsletter
Fingerprints, Telecom Lawsuits and Al Gore’s Carbon Footprint
The Senate considers a bill creating a new federal fingerprint registry. The House of Representatives votes to shield telecom companies from lawsuits arising from the…
Newsletter
Drilling for Oil, Regulating Wall Street and Speaking Out On Unions
One million Americans sign a petition urging Congress to allow offshore drilling for oil and gas. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson calls for the Federal Reserve…
Newsletter
Offshore Oil Drilling, Fingerprint Requirements and the Impact of Clouds on Global Warming
President Bush urges Congress to overturn the federal ban on oil drilling off the shores of the U.S. Senators plan to vote on a housing…
Op-Eds
Al Gore’s Epic Hypocrisy
Al Gore imagines that future poets will be singing his praises 1,000 years from now. In the meantime back on Planet Earth, he may have…
Newsletter
Google, Ethanol and a Housing Trust Fund
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) grills Google on consumer privacy concerns. Gas prices dip slightly from their record high. The Senate considers a housing “rescue” bill.
Newsletter
The Fairness Doctrine, Windfall Profits and Recycling Mandates
Lawmakers clash over FCC broadcast regulation known as the “Fairness Doctrine.” Prominent politicians debate a windfall profits tax for oil companies. European lawmakers pass stringent…
Op-Eds
Greens Thwart Gasoline Production
Four-plus-dollar gasoline is forcing Americans to realize that we need increased domestic oil production to meet our ever-growing demand for affordable fuel. But even if…
Newsletter
Gas Prices, the Federal Reserve and Insurance Regulation
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) claims that the global warming legislation she recently endorsed would not result in an increase in gas prices. Federal Reserve Bank…
Newsletter
Gas Prices, Cafeteria Politics and Carbon Rationing
Average gas prices rise past $4 a gallon. Senators vote to turn their money-losing dining facilities over to management by…
Newsletter
Green Jobs, Eminent Domain and New Oil Refineries
A new report by unions and environmental groups predicts a rosy future for “green collar” jobs. The American Civil Liberties Union campaigns against reform of…
News Release
Senate Should Say ‘No’ to Ending Debate on Energy-Rationing Legislation
The Competitive Enterprise Institute urges Senators to vote no on a motion to end debate on the global warming legislation sponsored by Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)…
Newsletter
Time Warner, Energy Prices and Biofuels
Time Warner begins metering its customers’ Internet usage. The Senate continues debate on major global warming legislation. International officials debate the causes of soaring food…
Newsletter
Vaclav Klaus, Transportation and ExxonMobil
Czech President Vaclav Klaus’ new book on environmental policy questions the alleged “consensus” on global warming. Congress of Racial Equality Chairman Roy Innis likens current…
Newsletter
Environmentalism, Vioxx and Carbon Offsets
The Washington Examiner editorializes on how environmental policies expand the scope of government power. Merck wins two appeals in lawsuits related to its painkiller Vioxx.
Study
The Climate Security Act S. 2191/S. 3036
Full Document Available in PDF A tax Cap-and-trade can only work by raising…
News Release
Senate Poised to Debate Lieberman-Warner Energy-Rationing Bill
The U.S. Senate on Monday will likely start debate on energy-rationing legislation that would raise energy prices dramatically for American consumers, while benefiting big business…
Op-Eds
Poseur Shareholders
The green blitzkrieg hit the ExxonMobil annual shareholder meeting this week. The green blitzkrieg hit the ExxonMobil annual shareholder meeting this week. The meeting featured…
Newsletter
Gas Prices, Farm Subsidies and Vioxx Lawsuits
Oil company executives are grilled on high gas prices by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Congress prepares to override President Bush’s veto of the…
Newsletter
Immigrant Intelligence, Hybrid Vehicles and the Cell Phone Pregnancy Scare
U.S. intelligence agencies seek help recruiting new immigrants as analysts and translators. Nissan to invest $115 million to mass produce batteries for electric and hybrid…
Op-Eds
British lessons for Wisconsin
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, who says that global warming "demands aggressive action," last week signed an agreement with the United Kingdom "to…
Newsletter
Polar Bears, Subsidies for Millionaires and Credit Card Fees
The Department of the Interior finds that polar bears are “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. The House of Representatives approves major new farm legislation.
Human Events
Biofuels Mandates
News Release
An Energy Bill That Puts Consumers Last
As prices for oil and gas rise to record levels, members of Congress have responded with an energy bill that, while ostensibly intended to…
Newsletter
Ethanol, Broadband and Consumer Safety
Momentum builds in Congress to repeal the mandate for use of corn-based ethanol in motor fuels. Comcast considers capping monthly Internet downloads and charging overage…
Study
The Consumer-Last Energy Bill
The Consumer-First Energy Act, intended to address the energy crisis, fails to achieve its stated purpose.
Newsletter
Farm Subsidies, Chemicals in Plastic and High Gas Prices
The White House announces plans to veto the recently-passed $300 billion farm bill. Debate continues over the safety of plastic additive bisphenol A, or BPA.
Op-Eds
Biofuels Debate Heats Up
Ryan Radia and William Yeatman argue that support for bio-fuels is drying up as food costs rise and commodities markets destabilize.
Newsletter
Satellite Radio, Gas Prices and the Credit Crunch
Sirius and XM Satellite await final government approval of their merger. Average gas prices rise to a new record high, prompting accusations of price gouging.
Human Events
Biofuel Mandates
Newsletter
Polar Bears, Biofuels and Employment Discrimination
A federal judge orders the Department of the Interior to determine whether the polar bear is a threatened species. More than 100 million people are…
Op-Eds
Let Them Burn Ethanol
American grocery stores are starting to introduce food rationing. Wal Mart is restricting the amount of rice customers can buy. In Mexico and Yemen,…
News Release
Environmental Disasters and Inconvenient Truths
In the new book The Really Inconvenient Truths, Competitive Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Iain Murray brings to light an especially inconvenient future: environmental activists…
Newsletter
Deforestation, Internet Regulation and Green Buildings
Senators probe the relationship between climate change and forests. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin tells a congressional hearing that there is no need for new Internet…
Op-Eds
European Railroads Not a Model for U.S. April 23
RAIL Solution’s David Foster (Letters, April 21) claims Europe’s transport system is increasingly “beyond petroleum” because Europe uses high gas taxes not only to discourage…
Op-Eds
Ethanol’s Adding to Hunger in U.S.
Subsidies for ethanol production helps inflate the price of food, making it harder for poor families to eat.
News Release
What Should Forests Fear: Global Warming or Global Warming Policies?
Activists who fear catastrophic effects from global warming have long predicted that deforestation would be one of the many impacts. As the Senate Foreign Relations…
Study
The Really Inconvenient Truths
From the Inside Flap Al Gore is bad for the planet… Talk about really inconvenient truths–that's one of the many you'll find in Iain Murray's…
Newsletter
Biofuels, Natural Gas Prices and Farm Subsidies
Dramatically rising food prices are linked to the expanded use of biofuels. Natural gas prices in the U.S. rise 93% in eight months. Political wrangling…
Newsletter
Bush’s Climate Plan, Carcinogens in Plastic and Free Trade
President Bush outlines a new plan for national climate policy. A new study raises concerns about a connection between plastics and cancer. Democratic leaders in…
Op-Eds
Junk Science: A New ‘Green’ Body Count Begins
Food riots caused by rising food prices have erupted around the world. Five people died in uprisings in Haiti, perhaps the first of…
Study
A Free Market Approach to Energy Security
Proposed measures to achieve "energy independence" have the potential to inflict significant economic damage on America.
News Release
Bush on Global Warming: A Big Mistake that Could Have Been Worse
President Bush's speech on global warming today lays out a blueprint for slow motion economic decline. It legitimizes global warming alarmism and undermines opposition…
Newsletter
Judicial Salaries, Food Riots and the Olympic Torch
New York state judge Judith Kaye sues to have the salaries of state judges increased by 20%. The head of the International Monetary Fund warns…
Op-Eds
Will Greenery Promote Growth, and Save the World (and Money)?
In Europe, consumers pay up to $9 a gallon for gasoline, in part because European Union governments tax gasoline at rates of $2 to $3…
Newsletter
Global Health Threats, Foreclosure Relief and Food Riots
Members of Congress hear testimony on whether global warming will become a threat to human health. Senators agree on a foreclosure relief plan for mortgage…
Newsletter
China Under Fire, Free Trade and High Gas Prices
Demonstrators disrupt the Olympic torch ceremony in Paris to protest China’s human rights record. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi objects to the U.S.-Colombia trade agreement negotiated…
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