Energy & Climate Change Policy News

The Daily Signal provides stay informed on U.S. energy production, renewable energy, and climate change policy, featuring analysis of government regulation, industry innovation, and the impact on American consumers and national interests.
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  • opinion

    Don’t Waste Energy on Fossil Fuel Divestment
    Global Divestment Day(s) take place Feb. 13-14, and a movement is afoot to encourage entities to sell their portfolios of conventional fuel stocks. According to a new study, the strategy, known as fossil fuel divestment, would be a loser for those who participate. But more importantly, encouraging divestment ignores the massive benefits conventional fuels bring…
    Marshal Wilson | Nicolas Loris
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  • opinion

    The Role of the Military on U.S. Soil
    The role of the military on U.S. soil is frequently misunderstood when it comes to the question: Who is in charge? This generally stems from confusion over the different homeland oriented missions: homeland security, homeland defense, and defense support of civil authorities. The lack of guidance in this area prompted Bert Tussing, professor of national…
    Rachel Zissimos
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  • opinion

    Solyndra, Fracking Boom Prove Private Sector, Not Government, Best at Picking Energy Winners
    If you’re like most Americans, you’re enjoying the fact that it costs a lot less to fill up your car’s gas tank these days. If you’re a fan of big government, you may feel a bit ambivalent, though. Why? Because one of the biggest drivers behind the drop in gas prices is the rise in…
    Ed Feulner
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  • news

    Operation Choke Point: 7 Real Life Stories From Vegas
    LAS VEGAS — What does the gun industry think of Operation Choke Point? Last week at the 2015 Shot Show, which is the industry’s largest trade exhibition, The Daily Signal asked attendees what they think of the controversial government initiative. The program, which was designed by the Justice Department in 2012, has been criticized for…
    Kelsey Bolar
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  • opinion

    Repealing the Jones Act: Good for Energy, Great for America
    On January 13, Senator John McCain (R–AZ) filed an amendment to S. 1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, that would repeal part of a 95-year-old protectionist policy that does not allow foreign seagoing vessels to engage in trade between United States ports. Though it ultimately did not go to a vote, McCain’s amendment would have…
    Marshal Wilson
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  • news

    California Might Replace Gas Sales Tax With Mileage Tax
    Your fuel efficient car might be great for the environment, but if you live in California, it might not help you save money much longer. California lawmakers have introduced a plan to replace a sales tax on gasoline with a tax on motorists based on mileage. Under the new plan, drivers would have to log…
    Kate Scanlon
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  • opinion

    This Federal Government Land Grab Would Permanently Lock Up Millions of Alaska Acres With Energy Potential
    What do Yosemite and Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have in common? Not a whole lot, but that isn’t stopping the Obama Administration from linking the two in a massive land grab attempt to prohibit American energy development. The Obama administration is calling on Congress to designate more than 12 million acres in Alaska as…
    Nicolas Loris
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  • opinion

    Steep Decline in Price of Oil Plays into Congressional Budget Outlook
    The recent decline in gas prices has not only left a little more cash in Americans’ pockets, it has contributed to a sizeable increase in economic output. According to the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) annual report, Budget and Economic Outlook, the decline in oil and gas prices that occurred between August and December of 2014…
    Rachel Greszler
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  • news

    How Much is Your State Paying for a Gallon of Gas? This Cool Map Will Show You.
    What is the average price of gas in your state? Researchers at Debt.com have put together a map to show you. Debt.com’s interactive map allows users to see their state’s average gas price-simply by hovering their cursor over the state. Clicking a state will show you its average price for the last 10 years: You…
    Kate Scanlon
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  • news

    Is $5 a Gallon Gas on Its Way? This Expert Thinks So
    You might want to consider filling up your tanks, America. One expert is warning $5 per gallon gas is on its way. John Hofmeister, the former president of Shell Oil, warns that we should “[e]njoy the price, because it’s going to go back up.” “The next round of high prices is likely to start later…
    Kate Scanlon
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  • news

    Ohio Oil Production Sputters, Complicating John Kasich’s Agenda
    Ohio’s oil production since 2012 has been far short of state officials’ projections. That’s according to a new report from Opportunity Ohio. Low production plus sharply lower prices could complicate Gov. John Kasich’s plans to pay for a statewide income tax cut by hiking energy taxes, said Matt Mayer, president of the free-market think tank Opportunity Ohio….
    Jason Hart
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  • news

    California Has 15 Years to Hit a 50% Renewable Energy Goal. Will It Happen?
    California Gov. Jerry Brown has set an ambitious new energy goal: getting the most populous state in the nation to derive 50 percent of its electric power from renewable sources in the space of 15 years. But can it be accomplished? And can it be done without sending electricity bills through the roof? Depends on…
    Rob Nikolewski
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  • news

    Is It True That Low Gas Prices Hurt the Economy?
    Low prices at the pump are good for consumers, but are they hurting the American economy? Though oil prices fell below $50 per barrel as of Monday, Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, the largest U.S. lobbying arm for the oil and natural gas industry, expressed little concern. Speaking at the annual “State…
    Kelsey Bolar
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  • news

    As Gas Prices Tumble, States Feel Pinch of Less Tax Revenue
    Reduced gasoline prices are good news for drivers across the country, but they’re causing headaches for budget directors in oil-producing states who are now revising their numbers downward and hoping prices stabilize quickly. “I haven’t seen anything this rapid in my time,” Oklahoma Finance Secretary Preston Doerflinger said. “I don’t think we’ve seen anything in…
    Rob Nikolewski
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  • opinion

    Whether Gas Prices Are High or Low, Lift the Ban on Crude Exports
    Gasoline prices continue to drop across the country with the national average falling to $2.50 per gallon. Are low prices good or bad for the prospects for lifting the ban to export crude oil? The reality is it shouldn’t matter because energy free trade will benefit the United States in both the near term and…
    Nicolas Loris | Thomas Lee
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  • news

    In These 13 States, Gas Is Selling for Below $2 a Gallon
    Just two weeks ago, a sole gas station in Oklahoma swept headlines for dropping gas prices below $2 a gallon. Today, 13 states have joined that list, and the trend is expanding. Gas for less than $1.90 a gallon can be found in at least one station in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Ohio, according to CNN….
    Natalie Johnson
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  • opinion

    CRomnibus Fails to Address EPA’s and Corps’s Water Power Grab
    One of the most controversial power grabs ever by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of the Engineers (Corps) isn’t addressed in the CRomnibus. Earlier this year, the EPA and the Corps proposed their “Waters of the United States” rule, defining what waters the agencies can regulate under the Clean Water Act. A…
    Daren Bakst
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  • opinion

    Omnibus Bill Doesn’t Make Nuclear Waste Management a Priority
    The House gave no additional funds for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) work to finish the review of the Yucca Mountain license in its massive omnibus appropriations bill. While it did find room to spend taxpayer money to fight international poaching of rhinos, Congress did not see fit to ensure that adequate funding is available…
    Katie Tubb
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  • opinion

    Before Hiking Gas Taxes, Michigan Needs to Spend Money for Roads More Wisely.
    Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) is leading an effort to gradually double the state’s 19-cent per gallon gas tax. Doing so would boost the state’s transportation coffers by over $1 billion new tax dollars. But Snyder isn’t sure that’s enough, saying, “The money I’m talking about is to get us to fair to good roads….
    Joel Griffith
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  • opinion

    CRomnibus Perpetuates More of the Same: Government Meddling in Energy Markets
    Who needs another stimulus bill or legislation handing out taxpayer dollars for energy efficiency when they can be stuffed into the Cromnibus like a Christmas stocking at the end of the year? The Department of Energy’s budget is much of the same: bureaucrats will be spending money they shouldn’t on activities the private sector should…
    Nicolas Loris
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