A freight train hauling coal away from a Wyoming coal mine.
Credit: Jerry Huddleston Flickr
The U.S. may be on the cusp of a stark turning point in energy and climate policy with the election of Donald Trump, who has stocked his cabinet with a majority of people who doubt or reject established climate science.
Top priorities of the Trump transition team and cabinet nominees — many who disregard the connection between global warming and fossil fuel energy use — include rolling back eight years of Obama administration climate regulations and restrictions on coal, oil and gas development.
Trump’s energy plan reads like a wish list from the fossil fuel industry: it envisions unfettered oil, gas and coal development as a path to national prosperity and energy independence. Gone are Obama-era overtures to address climate change by modernizing fossil fuel use and development, and embracing ambitious renewable energy goals.
Though it’s unclear how far Trump can go to implement his vision for a deregulated fossil fuel industry during his first year in office, here are four developments in energy policy to keep an eye on in 2017:
The […]
Good article. Solar power will not be stopped. Central planning has done little more than subsidize oil & gas for decades..fighting wars, rigged regulations that favor petroleum in every aspect of our economy and communities, tax credits, raping public lands, allowing environmental damage, etc…the list goes on. The federal government does not act in the interest of the people. States took the lead on solar energy and we have some progress..not enough. But this article gets it right..the future is decentralized solar power as the cost leader. The feds will prop up oil & gas like usual but cannot reverse the trend.