RealClearEnergy Articles

The Inflation Reduction Act established the Section 30D New Clean Vehicle Credit, which includes a $3,750 critical minerals tax credit. Taxpayers are eligible for the credit if they purchase qualifying, new electric vehicles with batteries containing a certain percentage of minerals extracted or processed in the United States and free trade agreement countries—and excluding any minerals from “foreign entities of concern.” Earlier this month, the Department of Energy released its final rule on the foreign entity of concern definition, and the Department of the Treasury...

Electric vehicles (EVs) may be the most subsidized product in America. Federal taxpayers shell out $7,500 every time a new eligible electric vehicle is purchased (usually by wealthy buyers). State and local taxpayers chip in an additional $1,500 for each EV purchase. Then, there’s the tens of billions of dollars “invested” by policymakers into building EV plants. Even these bank-breaking concessions aren’t enough to please the Biden administration. Recently finalized EV tax credit rules expand eligibility for the subsidy while...

Most people can agree that climate change is happening and that we need to take action. While there are disagreements about how to respond, the facts are clear – we must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible, as soon as possible, to protect our planet for future generations. It’s a challenge that requires an all-of-the-above strategy, and there is a tool at our disposal that we have yet to fully embrace: E15 gasoline. The name “E15” refers to the amount of ethanol blended with gasoline. It’s just like the most commonly used fuel, E10, but it has...

The Biden administration’s decision to raise tariffs on Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles, steel, computer chips and other technological products is the epitome of a penny wise and a pound foolish. To much of the nation, the news was a re-election flip-flop, or an attempt to prop up the electric vehicle industry Biden has prioritized since he took office, as part of his green agenda. The international supply chain for electric vehicles isn’t going to magically stop running through the Chinese Communist Party anytime soon. If Biden really wanted to curb Chinese geopolitical...

Mention environmentalism to a conservative and two images are likely to come to mind: government bureaucrats and activists doing foolish things like destroying art with soup. These associations, while understandable, have caused many on the right to be suspicious of any talk of environmental stewardship. That suspicion has now spread even to private-sector environmental initiatives and risks drawing many on the right into a trap that undermines free market alternatives to big government environmentalism. The effort by major investors like Blackrock to use...

As residents across the Lower 48 start feeling signs of spring, Alaska’s North Slope residents are continuing our ancestral traditions by preparing for our spring whaling season. We cut trails across miles of ice and haul out skin boats and harpoons. We pray for a prosperous hunt to feed our neighbors and prepare for the harsh weather and ocean conditions. We work hard in the springtime to ensure our communities are fed through the rest of the year. Spring is not the only time when life on the North Slope feels so distant from those lived in the rest of the country. I am one generation...

The U.S. Treasury’s recent update to the model for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) tax credits marks a significant step towards expanding low-carbon jet fuel. With clear guidance for aviation fuel producers in place, our nation is on a flightpath toward lower carbon emissions. In 2022, Congress set the stage for alternative, non-petroleum aviation fuels with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The landmark legislation provided a tax credit of $1.25 per gallon for all SAF that reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 50% compared to traditional fuels, with an...

Southwest Louisiana is in the early stages of one of the most profitable eras in the region’s industrial history, yet recent protests at LNG facilities have tried to distract from the immense investments these businesses have contributed to Louisiana communities. It has become clear to The Cameron Parish Police Jurors, the Commissioners of the Cameron Port the vast majority of these protesters are out-of-town activists and not the longtime residents of Cameron Parish. Cameron Parish is the second largest parish in land area in Louisiana with the fewest number of residents. We have...

Plant Vogtle in Georgia recently became the largest nuclear power plant in the U.S., with its final unit connecting to the grid at the end of April. Vogtle is also home to the first newly constructed reactors built in the country in three decades, signaling that American nuclear energy leadership is set to make a comeback. The time is now for a nationwide effort – from Georgia to the halls of Congress – to capitalize on this milestone and unleash this critical clean energy source.  In Washington, a compromised bipartisan, bicameral nuclear energy package...

Perhaps it’s a real shame that endangered species cannot vote. One thing we know for sure. Eagles, bats, whales, and multiple other species are suffering and dying from wind turbine blades, pilings, and cables – and more. Surely they want to stop the slaughter. We do. Chinese Uighurs, too, would likely love to vote in the November U.S. elections. Like many Congolese children, they too are suffering and dying to satisfy the egos and half-truths of the climate cabal. The children, of course, are way too young to vote. “Climate refugees,” on the other hand, are apparently...

The U.S. faces a surge in electricity demand over the coming years and we are woefully unprepared to manage it. According to reports filed this year with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, grid planners expect nationwide electricity demand to grow 4.7% over the next five years. This drastic update from the 2.6% growth prediction made back in 2022 is emblematic of how quickly demand is growing; predictions are constantly being updated to reflect more accurate realities. The biggest culprits for projected energy consumption are data centers: physical buildings or facilities...

The transition to cleaner, more secure energy that remains affordable and reliable is one of the cardinal challenges for the U.S. in the 21st century. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) carries the heavy burden of leading the national effort to address it. DOE now has a new partner to help bear the load: the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI). FESI’s establishment follows precedents set by the National Park Foundation, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), and many other congressionally-authorized non-profit organizations...

Vietnam and other Asian countries are on a coal spree! Given the dynamics of energy use in the rapidly developing industrial sector there, it is no surprise that these nations have backpedaled on big promises made at international climate conferences to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels.  Vietnam's projected 2024 growth rate for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stands at 5.8%, the sixth highest in Asia. Among the biggest contributors to GDP is the industrial sector (38 percent), especially manufacturing. S&P Global has noted...

Voters, especially young voters, care about climate change, and President Biden has taken notice. On his first day in office, Biden reinstated the United States into the Paris Climate Agreement. Fast forward to this year’s State of the Union, and the president touted his goal to cut the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030. In between, of course, the Administration took numerous steps toward advancing clean energy, the most impactful of which was the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in the US clean energy economy...

Forty-two was the mystical number that explained “life, the universe, and everything” in Douglas Adams’ comic novel, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  Today, another mystical number, the so-called social cost of carbon (SSC), is providing the excuse for the Environmental Protection Agency and green-energy-enamored state regulators to enact crippling energy policies. The SCC is the thumb on the scale that can justify virtually any policy aimed at eliminating fossil fuels. When the EPA first proposed its rule to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power...

After decades of anti-nuclear rhetoric and moratoriums on new nuclear power plants, legislatures nationwide are finally embracing nuclear power as a clean, viable energy source by overturning state bans. While a step in the right direction, several of these ban lifts only apply to small modular reactors (SMRs), which have a capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) or less and are smaller than the current fleet of large light water reactors, many of which boast over 1,000 MW per reactor. Rather than focusing exclusively on certain forms of nuclear power, state and federal lawmakers should pursue...

For all the talk about rebuilding supply chains and our manufacturing sector, America's economy and national security are only growing more dependent on Chinese-dominated mineral supplies. Our demand for minerals is growing far faster than our cumbersome and often counterproductive efforts to establish new, secure supplies. Our mineral policy – and our alarming reliance on mineral imports – have become a glaring vulnerability. We simply aren’t making nearly enough use of our vast domestic resources but there are some signs we could get on track. Several critically important...

This election year, Coloradans are watching as lawmakers make decisions for our state, tackling hot-button issues and delivering for families both in Denver and rural Colorado. In my home district, for which I am running to represent once again, my neighbors and I are watching the Colorado General Assembly debate the future of energy in our state and how to develop our full range of sources, including alternative energy. However, recent debates in Denver have emerged that would go further than ever before in restricting energy development in the state, including some going as far...

Nothing good happens after midnight, especially in politics. At close to 3:00 a.m. on April 6, Maine Democrats stripped $11 million in surplus transportation funding from this year’s budget, with an additional $60 million cut in the coming year. This was done outside the Transportation Committee’s jurisdiction, and the consequences of these cuts will be felt for years. Maine’s infrastructure has been ranked as subpar for years, a problem which forces consumers to pay more to stay on the road and businesses to pay more to transport goods across...