Energy and Environment
Advance freedom and prosperity by unleashing free enterprise, protecting America's energy interests, and advancing free global energy markets. Learn More... Statement of Purpose Demand is increasing faster than supplies while much of the world’s oil is delivered in a restrictive market dominated by unstable or hostile nations. Meanwhile, many Americans harbor misunderstandings and myths about energy, the environment, and market forces. They want low prices and plentiful supply, but resist steps that must be taken to achieve these goals. They want to protect the environment but most plans have huge costs and questionable benefits. This confusion leads Congress to enact conflicting policies that harm the nation’s ability to meet its energy needs. Sound policies must enable America to obtain supplies from a wide range of sources in a way that is best for the economy and also addresses homeland and national security considerations.

U.S. energy policy should be based on the creativity of free enterprise. Congress and the Administration should rely on the private sector’s research and development capabilities to deliver traditional supplies and viable new energy sources rather than mandates, regulations, subsidies, and directed research. All sources of domestic energy should be made available and artificial constraints on infrastructure, including costly environmental regulations, removed. Such steps will unshackle delivery of supplies and allow key sources like nuclear energy to achieve their potential. Efforts to reduce dependence on foreign oil or carbon altogether must be grounded in policies that are best for the economy by limiting or removing regulatory and tax barriers that impede private-sector innovation. Internationally, U.S. policy should advance free energy markets by sustaining access to the global marketplace using all instruments of national power. Policies should thwart the capacity of coercive regimes to employ energy supplies as an economic weapon. Americans understand that freedom, opportunity and quality of life suffer when abundant, affordable energy supplies are threatened, not just at home, but worldwide.

Green Jobs: Environmental Red Tape Cancels Out Job Creation

February 4, 2010

The push for "green jobs" is likely to harm the economy and reduce the prospects for net job growth.

Conditions and Policy Reforms Must Accompany Nuclear Loan Guarantee Boost

February 2, 2010

President Obama's expansion of nuclear loan guarantees would institutionalize the inefficiencies that subsidies create.

What Boxer-Kerry Will Cost the Economy

January 26, 2010

Barbara Boxer and John Kerry are pushing their climate-change legislation in the Senate. Like the Waxman-Markey bill, passed by the House last year, Boxer-Kerry is a cap-and-trade bill. Why is that bad? Because severely restricting greenhouse gas emission places an enormous burden on American families--higher gasoline prices, higher heating costs, higher energy taxes, higher unemployment. The Heritage Foundation's team of economic and climate-change experts details the extraordinary costs that will fall on businesses and families across the country should this legislation become law.

The EPA's Global Warming Regulation Plans

January 20, 2010

Congress should amend the Clean Air Act in order to prevent the EPA from bankrupting the nation.

Small Business Impact of the EPA Endangerment Finding

January 20, 2010

While Congress continues to debate climate change legislation, the EPA has been moving forward with a process to regulate greenhouse gases.

The Environmentalist's Profound Arrogance

January 15, 2010

Is this America? Over the past year, we have seen a new Administration and Congress make a concerted effort to give the federal government expansive power over nearly every sector of our economy. Polls show that the American people are uneasy with this big government approach and the impact it will have on our country’s future. That suspicion is especially pronounced when it comes to global warming.

"Climategate" Should Derail Copenhagen Climate Conference

January 6, 2010

Is it a good thing that delegates from the United States and 191 other countries have convened a U.N. conference in Copenhagen to work on a new global-warming treaty? Well, it's good to the extent that warming is a real problem. But the "climategate" scandal -- the release of e-mails and other documents indicating gross misconduct among key scientists -- suggests otherwise.

Copenhagen a Step Backwards -- Toward Reality

January 6, 2010

To fully appreciate what a step backwards the final Copenhagen accord is, one has to recall the buildup to it. For the last two years, global warming activists and UN officials had circled December 2009 on their calendars as the watershed moment for creating a new carbon-constrained global economy for decades to come. And in the nick of time, they would argue, as the existing targets in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol are scheduled to expire in 2012.

All Economic Pain, No Environmental Gain

December 18, 2009

Rep. Sensenbrenner is right -- a major deal in Copenhagen or a comparable domestic global warming bill would be all economic pain for no environmental gain. If President Obama wants to truly represent the interests of the American people, he would not sign onto an agreement with any real teeth.

Climate Conferees Should Do Nothing

December 18, 2009

At the ongoing U.N. conference on climate change in Copenhagen, proponents of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol -- for which initial commitments expire in 2012 -- are trying to hash out a new international agreement for lowering carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, a new global energy tax may be in the works.

Poor Nations Have Better Things to Worry About

December 18, 2009

As a first-time observer at a UN climate change conference, one thing that stands out here in Copenhagen is just how many delegates come from nations that ought to have far higher priorities than dealing with global warming.

$58,000 Solar Investment for a $21 Carbon Credit a Bright Idea?

02/09/2010

We can see the t-shirt slogan already: I paid $58,000 for solar panels and all I got was a $21 carbon credit that bought me this t-shirt. It’s not very catchy, but that’s the story of a Harrisburg couple, Tami and Randy Wilson, who installed solar panels in their home to reduce their electricity bill: The   Read More...

Government’s New Climate Service Shouldn’t Be Used as Doomsday Device

02/09/2010

The Washington Post reports that The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed to create a new climate service and website that would provide the public with information and predictions about the impact of global warming. If this turns out to be yet one more source of apocalyptic government press releases and other such   Read More...

Watch Out for the “Green Police”

02/08/2010

In what was seemingly an outlandish Super Bowl commercial, the “Green Police” could become all too real.  Though the cap-and-trade legislation appeared to die in the Senate after the passing the House, that doesn’t mean the war of environmental regulations is over. Liberals could still force draconian environmental restrictions on us anyway. Tucked into the   Read More...

Night of the Living Dead Idea

02/05/2010

The Department of Homeland Security’s Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) is out. Like the Pentagon’s QDR it is supposed to detail future threats and how our government will deal with them. This report, also like the QDR (and the annual assessment of the Director of National Intelligence), includes the obligatory reference to global warming. The   Read More...

Budget 2011: Past Deficits vs. Obama’s Deficits in Pictures

02/05/2010

Releasing his budget this Monday, President Barack Obama told the American people: We won’t be able to bring down this deficit overnight, given that the recovery is still taking hold and families across the country still need help. … Just as it would be a terrible mistake to borrow against our children’s future to pay our   Read More...

Alaskan Drilling: Small Area, Big Potential

July 30, 2008
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  • Alaskan Drilling: Small Area, Big Potential
  • U.S. a Nonstarter in Nuclear Power
  • Chilling Growth to Counter Global Warming
  • Nuclear power's safety by the numbers
  • Paying for the Energy Bill

Twelve Principles to Guide U.S. Energy Policy


Sound national energy policies must enable America to obtain energy supplies from a wide range of sources in a way that is best for the economy and at the same time addresses homeland and national security considerations. An abundant, diverse energy supply is central to America's freedom and prosperity. The guiding principles for an energy strategy that advances freedom and prosperity should emphasize three themes: 1. Unleashing free enterprise, 2. Protecting America's energy interests, and 3. Advancing free global energy markets. Learn More...

Copenhagen Consequences

Multimedia


Heritage's Center for Data Analysis found that the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill would have devastating effects on our economy. By 2035, it would result in 2.5 million jobs lost, a 90 percent increase in electricity prices, and cost the average family of four an additional $4,609 per year--and these are just a few examples of what we can look forward to if this 1,427-page bill is signed into law.

To read the full CDA report, click here.

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Heritage Experts on Energy and Environment

Media Information Line: (202) 675-1761

William

William W. Beach

Director , Center for Data Analysis

Ariel

Ariel Cohen Ph.D.

Senior Research Fellow , The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies

Alison

Alison Acosta Fraser

Director , Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies

David

David Kreutzer Ph.D.

Senior Policy Analyst in Energy Economics and Climate Change , Center for Data Analysis

Ben

Ben Lieberman

Senior Policy Analyst, Energy and Environment , Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies

Jack

Jack Spencer

Research Fellow , Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies