Today President Obama singed an executive order regarding federal government energy targets, he toured a solar panel installation on the Department of Energy’s roof and gave some brief remarks before kicking off a roundtable with large US companies that do over $1 billion in business with the federal government. These companies are all making significant… Keep reading →
The House Energy and Commerce Committee lead by Chairman Fred Upton has released a “framework document” Monday that outlines their legislative goals for energy policy. Congressman Upton said, “Our energy realities have changed dramatically – we’ve gone from bust to boom practically overnight. However, today’s energy policies are lagging far behind.” The four-part outline described… Keep reading →
Energy policy, a key part of President Barack Obama’s 2014 State of the Union address, played a muted role in the speech he delivered one year later. It was ironic, given the significant actions to reshape the U.S. energy profile and forestall climate change that the administration has taken and that continue to unfold. The… Keep reading →
The big news today was an announcement that President Obama will not sign Keystone XL oil pipeline legislation currently working its way through congress. Interestingly, the announcement was made at the same time major oil and gas industry trade group American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard delivered the annual State of American Energy address, in… Keep reading →
OK, many already know the US lacks a comprehensive energy policy, but an IEA study released this week reaches that same conclusion. The long-term nature of energy development projects does not mesh well with 2-year and 4-year election cycles. “A chief obstacle in US energy policy a lack of clarity, the report says. This month’s… Keep reading →
The ensuing Republican majority in both Houses of Congress following the 2014 Mid-Term election leaves President Obama in a precarious position regarding healthcare reform, foreign policy and economic recovery. But it is U.S. energy policy that could have the most tangible long-term effect on American society. Since securing re-election in 2012, Obama has taken significant… Keep reading →
“I’m not a scientist,” has emerged as go-to republican messaging on climate change in the run-up to midterm elections. Essentially, the response means “I’m not going to talk about this issue,” but climate change has already come up in several political debates around the US. “It’s got to be the dumbest answer I’ve ever heard,”… Keep reading →
The recent US Commerce Department ruling to allow two companies to export minimally processed condensate turned many energy industry heads and raised questions about whether the US was moving toward relaxing the 39-year oil export ban. This editorial clearly lays out the situation’s complexity and calls for more adroit policy in the face of new… Keep reading →
Is San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer really about to declare war on natural gas? Rumors are swirling in Colorado and Washington, DC that Tom Steyer is ready to side with Democrat Congressman Jared Polis of Boulder and national ban-fracking activists who are working to shut down Colorado’s booming natural gas industry. The WSJ today reports: “Tom Steyer, a hedge fund billionaire turned environmental activist,… Keep reading →
Opinion: Climate, US Oil Exports and Energy ‘Less Dependence’
By Bennett ResnikCongress is currently involved in a highly polarizing and critical topic regarding America’s future: energy sources and the economic and environmental costs of our current regulations and policies. Several Senate and House committee hearings reflect this: hearing on “Laboratories of Democracy: The Economic Impacts of State Energy Policies,” “Modernizing the Business of Environmental Regulation and… Keep reading →