Interior Dept. Kills Green Energy Favoritism by Ending Wind Energy Leasing Area Designations

There has been a perfect trifecta of movement among President Donald Trump’s cabinet members and agency administrators, with a focus on making our energy sources both reliable and affordable.

First, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin slams a stake into the heart of the green energy regulatory monster, by rescinding actions based on the “endangerment finding.” That’s the court order that empowered the agency to decide that six key greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide, methane, and others) endanger both public health and welfare, laying the groundwork for hyper-regulation that restricted both prosperity and personal liberty. Those subsequent rules promulgated by the EPA allowed the agency to essentially conduct a “War on Fossil Fuels,” a “War on Appliances,” and a “War on Meat.”

Then, Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright followed that move by releasing an updated “climate assessment” way ahead of schedule and authored by five serious-minded climate and economic professionals (as opposed to the 400 climate cultists original slated to prepare the document). “A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate” is a thoughtful, balanced work that reviews both the science and economics behind “climate change.” The document also references studies that suggest that the economic impact of carbon dioxide-induced warming may be less severe than promoted by the media and activist climate “scientists” and notes that aggressive climate mitigation efforts could potentially do more harm than good.

Yesterday, the third leg of the “America First” energy trifecta dropped. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is ending special treatment for unreliable green energy sources, such as wind, to focus on more reliable, affordable sources.