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
House subcommittee to discuss important Clean Air Act bills
The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment will be holding a hearing today entitled “From Gridlock to Growth: Permitting Reform Under the…

Center Square Opinion
Op-Ed: Lawmakers deserve credit for recent success against the Green New Deal
Lawmakers took a significant step toward ending the Green New Deal. In the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), they started to dismantle the radical…

Wall Street Journal
How to Beat the High Cost of Cooling
President Trump doesn’t hide his dislike of federal appliance regulations, from water-stingy shower heads that he says make it difficult “to take care of my…
Search Posts
Blog
The Surge: New EPA rulemaking, Biden’s LNG ‘pause,’ 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
Spending bills fail to provide checks on Biden’s energy and environmental abuses
Over the weekend, House and Senate appropriations released the text of six final fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending bills: Energy and Water, Agriculture, Military…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Seabird mitigation and nuclear locations
CEI is hosting a hill event on March 5 about reforming administrative law courts. Politicians got upset about Wendy’s menus. GDP growth was…
Fox News
Biden admin finalizes environmental regulations targeting clothes washers, dryers
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited in Fox News about environmental regulations targeting appliances: “What we’re learning is that the government ought to get out…
News Release
CEI leads coalition of 20 groups in comment on EPA’s draft Scientific Integrity Policy
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) led a coalition of 20 groups in a comment on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) draft “Scientific Integrity Policy.”…
Blog
Senate should pass bill to stop Biden’s liquified natural gas export ‘pause’
The Biden administration announced a pause last month on new approvals for liquified natural gas (LNG) exports to non-Free Trade Agreement (non-FTA) countries. The…
Comment
Regulatory Comment on 88 FR 89410
To the Honorable Rostin Behnam, Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Honorable Commissioners Kristen N. Johnson, Cristy Goldsmith Romero, Summer K. Mersinger,…
Comment
CEI Comments on California’s Advanced Clean Cars II Waiver Request
Thank you for the opportunity to comment[1] on the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB’s) request for a waiver under Section 209(b) of the…
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: Biden admin particulate matter rule, GOP carbon tax support, 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…
Daily Caller
‘A Bad Day For Sound Science’: Republicans, Energy Experts Torch Biden’s Newest Air Quality Regulation
CEI’s Daren Bakst is cited on Daily Caller about new energy regulations: “Today is a bad day for sound science, scientific integrity, and more…
Fox News
Why gas stove owners should still be worried
In response to a strong public backlash, the Biden administration Department of Energy (DOE) has decided to backtrack on its proposed new energy efficiency regulation of stoves…
The Center Square
Will the cap-and-trade repeal initiative succeed? The markets might think so
CEI’s Stone Washington was cited in The Center Square on the repeal of cap-and-trade: Stone Washington, research fellow with the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for…
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: Carbon tariffs, Natural Asset Companies, and weird emissions math
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication…
Reason
Bipartisan Tax Credit Bonanza
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited on Reason on bipartisan tax credit bonanza: The Energy Department’s final rule “is less stringent than the initial proposal that…
E&E News
DOE scales back stove rule. Republicans still hate it.
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited on E&E News about government scale down in effort to limit consumer appliances: “While the Department of Energy’s…
Fox News
Biden admin backs off gas stove crackdown after widespread pushback
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited on Fox News addressing the gas stove crackdown: “A reasonable regulation is better than an unreasonable regulation,” Ben Lieberman,…
The Washington Examiner
A dishwasher decision that is great news for consumers
A recent court ruling set new limits on the power of federal bureaucrats to impose unwanted mandates on consumer appliances. In a Jan.
Blog
Nuclear phaseouts strike again
While there has been some good news in the US recently on nuclear power issues, including a partial removal of the Illinois nuclear ban, the…
Independent Women's Forum
Reliability is a Concern for Much of the U.S this Winter
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) latest annual Winter Reliability Assessment sheds light on the vulnerabilities of the electrical grid across North America in the…
Daily Caller
Dem Demands On Automakers Could Backfire On Their Own Climate Agenda And Americans’ Wallets, Experts Say
CEI’s Sean Higgins is cited in the Daily Caller about Democrat’s demands on automakers: “The leadership of the UAW is publicly backing the EV push…
News Release
CEI leads coalition opposing carbon tariffs and the PROVE IT Act
The Competitive Enterprise Institute today sent a coalition letter to Congress opposing a bill that would lay the groundwork for a carbon tax on…
Letters
Carbon Tariff Coalition Letter
Dear Members of Congress:As the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is reportedly going to mark-up the PROVE IT Act (S. 1863) this week, the…
Blog
Policy hurdles to natural gas delivery pose winter danger for Americans
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) just released its 2023-24 Winter Reliability Assessment and it has concerning implications for the winter ahead. The report highlighted many…
The Center Square
Court blocks Biden effort to tighten regulations on washing machines, dishwashers
CEI’s Devin Watkins is cited in The Center Square on dishwasher regulation: “This decision allows manufacturers to build better dishwashers, not be encumbered by counterproductive…
Fox News
Biden admin’s crackdown on dishwashers dealt blow by appeals court
“In this opinion, the court has forced DOE to follow the law and even noted that one of the positions DOE took in this suit…
Breitbart
Federal Court Smacks Down ‘Arbitrary’ Biden Rule Regulating Dishwashers, Laundry Machines
CEI’s work from 2018 was cited in Breitbart on energy regulations: In 2018, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) asked the DOE to consider energy regulations…
Blog
Don’t make crypto the electricity scapegoat
A radical new tax proposed by the Biden administration would make cryptocurrency mining the scapegoat for electricity usage. The so-called Digital Asset Mining Energy (DAME)…
Town Hall
Biden Admin Targets Fridges, Freezers In Latest Slew of Appliance Crackdown
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited on Townhall about the latest appliance crackdown: Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told Fox…
Fox News
Biden admin launched an aggressive campaign targeting home appliances with eco regulations in 2023
CEI’s Ben Lieberman was cited in Fox News on the targeting of home appliances: “Ostensibly, these DOE efficiency standards are supposed to benefit consumers. That’s…
Comment
Comments to EPA SNPR for Power Plant Rule
Dear Mr. Fellner: I appreciate this opportunity to provide comments on the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking for the proposed rule “New Source Performance Standards…
Blog
New Liquefied Natural Gas ruling makes Jones Act even more unreasonable
A new Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) decision will make compliance with the Jones Act even more onerous for natural gas producers. The…
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: COP28, House passes car legislation, and carbon taxes
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
Defense bill amendment could help undo China’s unfair advantage in environmental treaties
Congress is currently considering the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (NDAA), including a long list of amendments added to the bill.
Blog
Senators asking the right question on nuclear license renewals
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) ranking member of the SenateEnvironment and Public Works Committee and Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) ranking member of the Committee’s Subcommittee on…
News Release
CEI Statement on House Passage of CARS Act
In a vote of 221-to-197, the House today passed the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act (H.R. 4468). Introduced by Reps.
Fox News
Biden’s billion-dollar plan to build 500,000 EV chargers has yet to yield a single charger
CEI’s Daren Bakst is cited on Fox News regarding the EV plan: “Too many members of Congress think ‘Field of Dreams’ is a blueprint…
The Power Hour
The Power Hour | Free Markets, Free People, and a Clean Environment
CEI’s Myron Ebell joins The Power Hour radio show on December 6th, 2023. Listen to the show here.
News Release
CEI Statement on CARS Act
Reps. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Andrew Clyde (R-GA) have introduced legislation that is expected to be considered on the House floor this week,…
Blog
COP28: The conference on penance
Dubai is currently hosting the 28th Conference on Penance (COP). Well, that’s what the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on…
The Hill
Why are some Republicans pushing new taxes and higher prices?
Here’s a concoction whose toxicity conservatives instinctively recognize: new taxes, higher prices, punishing energy use, and giving foreign countries leverage over how the U.S. regulates.
News Release
New CEI paper analyzes the top issues up for negotiation at COP28
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) continues its focus on COP28 in Dubai with a new paper by Henrique Schneider, who is a…
Study
Four Hot Issues at COP28
Over 75 different agenda items will be discussed and negotiated in Dubai at the 28th annual Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework…
Blog
The latest on nuclear power bans: Illinois poised to take an important step
The Illinois nuclear construction ban will soon be a thing of the past.Earlier this year, both state chambers, through a supermajority vote, passed a…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: The future of energy and environmental policy with Travis Fisher
In this week’s episode we cover the political path toward abundance, the need for permitting reform beyond the National Environmental Policy Act,…
PJ Media
Biden Uses Cold War Law to Nuke Your Gas Furnace
PJ Media cites CEI’s Ben Lieberman: The money comes from a presidential slush fund authorized by the Democrats’ trillion-dollar Inflation Reduction Act (that did not…
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: Carbon tariffs, CAFE standards, 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…
News Release
COP explainer begins CEI’s focus on United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) today begins its focus on the 28th meeting of the Conference of Parties of the the United Nations Framework…
Study
The UN’s Annual Climate Conference
I remember the first Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) I participated in.1 It was back in…
Daily Caller
Biden Admin Tries To Spin Faltering EV Market, But Its Talking Points Don’t Add Up
“Even a mediocre pizza restaurant could sell lots of pies if they give them away,” Marlo Lewis, senior fellow for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told…
Testimony
Ben Lieberman Testimony: Hearing on “Burdensome Regulations: Examining the Effects ofDepartment of Energy Regulations on America’s Job Creators.”
Chair Williams, ranking member Velazquez, and members of this committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ben Lieberman and I…
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