federal energy policy

The Federal Government Has *Always* Shaped the Energy System

Obama was criticized for intruding the federal government into energy policy. But that’s nothing new.

To hear some of the debate, you’d think that the Obama Administration breached some longstanding barrier that left energy policy to the states and the market. If there ever was such a barrier, it disappeared over a century ago, with the onset of World War I.  Ever since then, the federal government has been actively …

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Congress and Energy Efficiency – The Tentative Steps of Shaheen-Portman

Senators Shaheen and Portman have created a bi-partisan bill to promote more efficient use of energy. It appears that they might succeed in getting it through the Senate, but the resulting bill would be missing most of its teeth. Is a toothless tiger better than no tiger at all? Perhaps surprisingly, the answer may be …

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GOP, Dems, and Energy Policy

I took a look at the Democratic and Republican parties to see what they had to say about the issues.  Given that the Republicans are set to gain ground in the upcoming election, this could help see where potential exists for policy changes. Republicans: Stress goal of energy independence.  In addition to renewables, favor nuclear, …

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