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
Report Urges Congress to End Boondoggle Green Subsidies Now
Congress has a golden opportunity now, during final negotiations over the budget, to wipe out green subsidies passed back in 2022 as part of the…

Blog
New CEI paper: End IRA Subsidies Now
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the flagship climate spending law from the Biden administration. Estimates place its cost between $936 billion and $1.97…

Study
End IRA Subsidies Now
Introduction “The first lesson of economics is scarcity,” wrote economist Thomas Sowell. By contrast, “The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson…
Search Posts
Citation
Team Obama shifts left
Op-Eds
It’s All a Matter of Perspective
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style…
Citation
Obama’s ‘green dream team’ is warmly received
Citation
Obama’s Pick of Carol Browner for Energy Czar
Citation
Obama’s energy pick Chu
Citation
Obama’s “dream” team
Citation
how the economic slowdown could complicate ‘Cap and Trade’ plans
Study
The Railroad Competition and Service Improvement Act
Why Government-Enforced “Competition” Will Not Work.
Canada Free Press
Living in a Funhouse Run by Morons
New York Post
Phantom Jobs
Newsletter
Bottled Water for the Homeless, Challenging NAFTA and Green-on-Green Violence
North Carolina officials pass out winter aid kits to the homeless. Barack Obama’s presumptive pick for trade representative suggests that the U.S. should renegotiate the…
National Review
Obama’s Code-Green Economy
Comment
Comments on EPA’s ANPR on Greenhouse Gas Regulation Under the Clean Air Act
CEI’s Christopher C. Horner filed this comment urging EPA not to make an endangerment finding with respect to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from new motor…
National Review
Environmentalists fear Obama will forget them in crisis
Comment
Free market groups submit a joint comment on EPA’s ANPR on Greenhouse Gas Regulation under the Clean Air Act
CEI’s Marlo Lewis and representatives of 28 other free market and conservative organizations filed this joint comment urging EPA not to make an endangerment finding with…
Comment
Comments on EPA’s ANPR on Greenhouse Gas Regulation Under the Clean Air Act
In this comment on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on greenhouse gas (GHG) regulation under the Clean Air Act (CAA),…
National Review
auto bailout
National Review
energy policy in the 111th Congress
National Review
energy policy in the 111th Congress
National Review
Waxman Win Is Boon for Environmentalists, Bust for Utilities
National Review
Climate crusaders set to act in Congress
Newsletter
Ethanol Subsidies, Sarbanes-Oxley and Bottled Water
A broad-based coalition calls on Congress to phase out subsidies for ethanol production. A federal Appeals Court rules on a Constitutional challenge to the Sarbanes-Oxley…
Reason
When Does an Infant Industry Stop Needing Its Taxpayer Allowance?
Newsletter
Green Week on NBC, Hillary at State and Taxing Casinos
NBC Universal and corporate parent General Electric launch seven days of environmentally-themed programming with “Green Week.” Political observers predict that President-elect Obama will nominate Sen.
Newsletter
Yahoo’s Fortunes, Chevron’s Strange Ads and the Battle over Bottled Water
Shares of web pioneer Yahoo Inc. rise upon departure of CEO Jerry Yang. Chevron launches a series of ads aimed at reducing energy consumption. A…
Newsletter
White House Summit, Auto Bailout and Oil Drilling
Leaders of twenty nations gather at the White House to discuss the global financial downturn. Lawmakers prepare to debate a financial…
Reason
“oil addiction”
News Release
Nov. 18 Event Targets Ethanol Subsidies
ETHANOL SUBSIDIES TURN 30 Food Before Fuel Campaign Urges Obama, Congress to End Ethanol Subsidies Washington, D.C.,…
Op-Eds
Wall Street Extorts Kyoto Protocol: Lehman, Enron and other Cap-and-Trade Coincidences
Recently, in the aftermath of the Lehman Brothers collapse, I read a speech by Gunther Verheugen, the E.U.’s Industry Commissioner, revealing his…
Op-Eds
Chevron’s Orwellian Crude Discovery
Chevron has unveiled a revolutionary new way of finding oil. It doesn’t involve satellite telemetry or seismic imaging or someother high-tech means of exploration. It…
Newsletter
White House Transition, More Bailouts and Power Struggles in Congress
George W. Bush and Barack Obama hold transition talks at the White House. Auto manufacturers continue their push for their own federal bailout. Two senior…
Op-Eds
Green Jobs Costly for Michigan
Gov. Jennifer Granholm has been drinking the “green jobs” Kool-aid, recently announcing that she is creating an energy department and naming an…
News Release
CEI Attacks Auto Industry Bailout Bonanza
Washington, D.C., November 7, 2008— Auto executives yesterday huddled with House Democrats to discuss a possible $25 billion loan to the industry, this on top of…
Newsletter
E-voting, the Fairness Doctrine and Economic Unrest in Ecuador
Problems with electronic voting machines are reported in several states. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) argues for the re-imposition of the “Fairness Doctrine” for TV and…
Newsletter
Taxing the Rich, the Costs of Ethanol and the Fed’s Loose Money Policy
Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher becomes a national campaign personality. The Federal Reserve lowers a key interest rate in hopes of reviving investment. Environmentalists debate the…
Reason
the hidden costs of ethanol
Study
Massive Food and Land Costs of US Corn Ethanol
Biofuels have made the world use more corn than it can sustainably produce, creating massive food price hikes.
News Release
Ethanol Fuel Mandates Cause Massive Food and Land Costs, Says New Report
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:"";…
Newsletter
Greenhouse Gases, Broadband Speeds and the Future of Transit
California officials ignore the high costs of implementing the state’s greenhouse gas reduction plan. Comcast implements upgrades for broadband customers that will double download speeds…
Newsletter
Stimulus Redux, Benefits of Bottled Water and the Pro-Poverty Left
Senators consider a second round of taxpayer-financed economic stimulus. Bottled water producers attempt to work constructively with environmental groups that have called for additional taxes…
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…
Reason
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…
Reason
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’
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:"";…
News Release
T. Boone Pickens Touts Windwill in Nat’l. Press Club Speech Today
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:"";…
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…
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