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 study says it’s time to unplug federal appliance regulations
Stoves, air conditioners, ceiling fans, water heaters, light fixtures, refrigerators, washing machines, furnaces, dishwashers, and more – nearly everything that plugs in or fires up…
News Release
Report: Government regulations on household appliances increase costs, worsen performance
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report explains how needless government regulations have made everyday household appliances cost more and perform worse. “Appliance regulations have gotten…
Study
Free the Appliances!
Introduction The Department of Energy’s (DOE) appliance efficiency standards program has been in place for decades, subjecting nearly every major home appliance to multiple rounds…
Search Posts
Federalist Society
Explainer Episode 58 – Natural Gas Bans, Appliance Efficiency Standards, and Consumer Choice
Ben Lieberman, Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute joins James W. Coleman, Professor of Law, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law to discuss…
Fox News
Biden’s new crackdown on another appliance will be worse than gas stoves
We have seen a big consumer backlash in 2023 over Biden administration bureaucrats targeting gas stoves, but that could pale in comparison to…
Experts warn Biden admin’s water heater crackdown will hike prices, reduce consumer choice
Fox News cites Ben Lieberman on consumer choice issues: “One of the things about these appliance standards — they’re all problematic…
News Release
CEI supports prohibition on multi-billion-dollar government slush fund in agriculture appropriations bill
The House of Representatives is set to vote on H.R. 4368, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act…
The Washington Examiner
Carbon tariffs will hurt trade, national interests, and consumers
Carbon tariffs are a bad idea that won’t go away, and now the European Union has launched the first one, the …
Fox News
Biden admin cracks down on another popular home appliance
Fox News cites Senior Fellow Ben Lieberman on proposed regulations on household appliances: “It’s just spreading to more and more appliances.
Fox Business
VIDEO: Ben Lieberman on Fox’s Varney & Company
CEI’s Ben Lieberman joined Varney & Company to discuss high gas prices and energy policy.
Fox News
Washington State’s Nation-Leading Gasoline Prices Should Serve as a Warning
Vacationers hitting the highways currently face a nationwide average price of $3.52 per gallon of gasoline, according AAA. However, the price varies widely among states. California usually…
Study
Global Infrastructure Permitting
Executive Summary The construction of major infrastructure projects, such as power plants, highways, and ports, is heavily regulated. In major industrial economies, such projects typically…
Forbes
Why The ‘Social Cost Of Carbon’ Can Not Be Used In Cost-Benefit Analysis
The social cost of carbon (SCC) quantifies the economic damage associated with emitting a ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Regulatory impact analyses from…
Blog
Why Washington state has the highest gas prices
The price of gas in Washington State is currently the highest in the nation averaging $4.99 per gallon as of June 28, 2023. This…
Blog
The lethal impact of rising energy prices
Many of us are all too familiar with the grimace we make when we open our monthly utility bills. The soaring cost of energy is…
Blog
Another sustainable energy company is failing to sustain itself
CNBC’s “Sustainable Future” page reports today that “Siemens Energy shares plunge more than 37% as wind turbine worries deepen.” A “sustainable energy” company failing…
Blog
Elephant in the elevator: How government manipulates the social cost of carbon to justify regulations
Four CEI colleagues and I each submitted comments this month on the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed update of Circular A-4—OMB’s…
Comment
CEI Comments on Proposed OMB Circular No. A-4
RE: Request for Comments on Proposed OMB Circular No. A-4, “Regulatory Analysis”, 88 FR 20915 (Apr. 7, 2023), Docket OMB-2022-0014 Dear Mr. Revesz, I am…
Comment
CEI Comments on OMB’s Revision of Circular A-4 Regulatory Accounting Guidelines
Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments on the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB’s) Draft for Public Review of its proposed update of…
Blog
Congress should block Biden’s harmful environmental regulations with power of the purse
Congress shouldn’t sit back and watch as the Biden administration proposes and finalizes costly and harmful energy and environmental regulation. Instead, it needs to take…
Blog
War over gas stoves heats up with two House votes today
President Biden’s administration has declared war on gas stoves, but today the House of Representatives is fighting back Two Biden administration agencies, the Consumer Product…
Hannity
FURNACES NOW?! The Biden Admin’s War on American Energy Continues
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is quoted on Hannity on the current crackdown on American energy: “This is a classic example of one size not fitting all,”…
Fox News
Biden admin is preparing to target Americans’ gas furnaces amid stove crackdown
Ben Lieberman is cited on Fox News about the crackdown on gas stoves: “This is a classic example of one size not fitting all,”…
Blog
5 myths about Joe Biden’s crackdown on gas stoves
The Biden administration’s craziest idea yet? The assault on gas stoves. Second craziest? The lame attempts to deny it. Now that two bills…
The Blaze
Horowitz: How McCarthy debt deal will destroy our leverage for the rest of Biden’s term
Myron Ebell of the Competitive Enterprise Institute explains the problem with speeding up energy projects without first repealing the…
Blog
McCarthy-Biden debt-ceiling deal fully funds the climate-industrial complex
The deal to raise the debt ceiling announced Saturday by the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) drops the provisions in the…
Blog
Repealing green energy subsidies must come before permitting reform in debt ceiling package
There are reports that the debt ceiling negotiators are close to agreeing on permitting reform provisions as part of the final package. This may sound…
Blog
EPA’s new coal rule: Still unlawful after all these years
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week posted the pre-publication draft of its proposed carbon dioxide (CO2) emission performance standards for fossil-fuel power plants…
Washington Times
EPA green rules increase blackout risks; emission caps on reliable fuels will shut down power plants
CEI’s Daren Bakst is cited on the Washington Times on blackout risk increases: The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposals for natural gas and coal-fired power plants…
Testimony
CEI’s Myron Ebell Testifies Before House Budget Committee on “Exposing the Woke, Wasteful, and Bloated Bureaucracy”
May 11, 2023 (Video of Myron Ebell’s congressional testimony can be watched here.) Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member Boyle, and Members of the Budget Committee,…
Blog
What I told the EPA about its attack on Americans’ cars and mobility
The Biden administration is using the whole of government to stop Americans from driving gas-powered vehicles. This campaign began right at the start of the…
Forbes
What’s Inside The House GOP Effort To Roll Back Support For Renewables In Exchange For Raising The Debt Limit?
The Republican Party in the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, recently passed legislation aimed at raising the nation’s debt limit. The bill…
News Release
Biden EPA’s Power Plant Emissions Rule Seeks to Shutter Certain Power Plants without Authorization from Congress
President Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new proposed rule today mandating power plants reduce emissions drastically or shut down. The rule has…
Blog
EPA’s almost bare-naked electric car mandate
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week proposed new greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for model years (MYs) 2027-2032 passenger cars, light trucks,…
National Review
Stop Empowering OPEC+ by Restricting the Domestic Oil Supply
When, at the beginning of April, the 23 oil-exporting countries of OPEC+, including Russia and Saudi Arabia, announced cuts in oil…
The Boston Herald
Bakst: EPA Targets Americans’ Ability to Choose their Cars
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed tailpipe emission regulations for new cars, making it more difficult for Americans to buy gas-powered vehicles. The rule is part of…
News Release
New York Law Banning Natural Gas in New Construction Is Bad Environmental Policy, Will Increase Costs for Residents
New York passed a new law banning natural gas and other fossil fuels in most new buildings today, the first state in the nation…
Inside Sources
EPA Is Attacking Americans’ Ability to Choose Which Cars to Drive
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed tailpipe emission regulations for new cars, making it more difficult for Americans to buy gas-powered vehicles. The rule is part…
FIU News
Environmental forum brings together diverse viewpoints, experts on environmental policy
“If you’re serious about climate but you’re also serious about democracy, you’re going to have to figure out how to make them work together.” New…
Blog
Has Gary Gensler turned the SEC into a regulatory ‘Hotel California’?
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler hadn’t testified before the U.S. House of Representatives for 18 months. Republican members made up for lost…
News Release
Biden EO on ‘Environmental Justice’ Poses Threat to all Americans
The Biden administration today announced a new executive order purporting to “further embed environmental justice into the work of federal agencies.” CEI regulatory and…
Blog
Texas v. EPA could save the day for cars that go vroom
The Competitive Enterprise Institute this week filed its reply brief for private petitioners in State of Texas et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency.
News Release
House Passes Energy Bill that Will Increase Domestic Energy Production and Lower Costs for Consumers
The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1 today, an extensive package of energy policies aimed at increasing domestic energy production, easing permitting delays for…
Blog
Three Important Policy Reforms in H.R 1
The House of Representatives this week is expected to consider H.R. 1, the “Lower Energy Costs Act.” Here are three of the most…
New York Post
Biden’s latest target in his war on appliances: air conditioning units
“What these standards do is enforce a level of efficiency that doesn’t make sense,” the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Ben Lieberman told…
News Release
CEI Publishes Collection of Kevin D. Williamson Writing on the Religious Character of the Environmental Movement
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) published a new monograph today by writer-in-residence Kevin D. Williamson, titled “Inside the Carbon Cult: Reports on…
Study
Inside the Carbon Cult
Foreword Kevin D. Williamson has a pretty good claim to being the best columnist in the United States right now. I don’t say that lightly.
Blog
CEI Advises CEQ to Withdraw Its NEPA Guidance on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change
Last week I submitted comments advising the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to withdraw its proposed guidance on consideration of greenhouse gas (GHG)…
News Release
Biden Administration Approves Oil Exploration Project in Alaska, but Larger Restrictions Promised Soon
According to reports, the Biden Administration is prepared to approve an oil exploration project in northern Alaska. The administration is said to be pairing…
Fox News
5 ways Biden is still coming for your gas stove
Who knew President Joe Biden hated gas stoves so much? Not only does he have multiple federal agencies targeting them, but he is also going…
Blog
The War On Natural Gas – Pipeline Edition
The Biden Administration’s climate change-inspired war on natural gas continues on multiple fronts. Most recently in the news are the regulatory attempts to curtail the use…
Testimony
QFR Answers from Marlo Lewis Regarding the Senate Budget Committee Hearing on 03/03/23
Dear Senator Grassley, Thank you again for inviting me to present testimony at the Senate Budget Committee’s March 1, 2023 hearing “Rising Seas, Rising Costs:…
News Release
Daren Bakst Joins CEI as Deputy Director of the Center for Energy and Environment
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) announced today that Daren Bakst will join the organization as senior fellow and deputy director of the Center for…
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