“With a new political outlook in Washington, DC with climate and energy policy, Exxon Mobil should formally reject both cap-and-trade and a carbon tax.”

Rex Tillerson, whose confirmation hearing is scheduled for tomorrow, presided over a major public policy change while CEO of Exxon Mobil, reversing the prior policy of the principled realist Lee Raymond. Political forces, as well as a doomed attempt at appeasing its enemies (ending up in the state State Attorney General investigative war), led Exxon Mobil to reluctantly embrace a tax on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

My interpretation of Rex Tillerson et al.’s (failed) policy shift finds support for “it was just PR” rather than a fundamental belief in climate peril. As such, this shift is easily reversible by Exxon Mobil’s new CEO, Darren Woods.…

The Institute for Energy Research (IER) and its advocacy arm, the American Energy Alliance (AEA), are in the news.

As reported last month in the Los Angeles Times, and more recently in Bloomberg Politics, IER/AEA are involved in the free-market directions that the president-elect and his team have followed to date.

One account described the founding of IER as follows:

The Institute for Energy Research was founded to be a clearinghouse for energy information in 1989 in Houston by Robert L. Bradley Jr., a speechwriter for Enron chief executive Kenneth Lay, who was later convicted of securities fraud.

Given that this association is part of the political conversation (Joe Romm started it in 2009: see below), and the continuing attention that is ahead for IER/AEA, I wish to revisit the historical record about my time at Enron that overlapped with IER.…

“The basic strategy of deep decarbonization is to ‘electrify everything’ because, theoretically, someday soon, wind and solar could affordably displace all fossil fuels. The analytical basis of such beliefs, however, comes up radically short.”

“Alternatives to electricity should also be given a fair chance to compete for consumers—free of regulatory bias.”

“The economics of natural gas direct use is also superior to natural gas via the electric grid because it is far less capital intensive.”

The Rolling Stones song playing in the background during President-Elect Trump’s victory speech contained an important message to the American People:

“You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes well you might find you get what you need.”

Something else the American people need is the continued right to choose natural gas for their homes and businesses.…

“I have found that if we reframe the conversation to always focus on the full context of human flourishing, many people will be won over.” (Alex Epstein)

Fasten your seatbelts. This is the year of energy realism and elevating the politically incorrect, economically correct into the mainstream. Donald Trump energy policy promises to be free-market-oriented in a way that has been absent through recent Republican and Democratic administrations.

A leading voice for an energy/climate realism is Alex Epstein, a one-man dynamo for clear thinking in a field dominated by want it, think it, emote it … and it is. 

In writing and by lecture, Epstein is ready to convince a Rotary Club or Prime Time America on the benefits of consumer-chosen, taxpayer neutral, economical, reliable energies. He will debate anyone anywhere–and should get more chances than ever in this new policy era.…