Consumer Energy Alliance President David Holt gives his take at National Journal’s Expert Blog on what is ahead for Energy in the next four years:
Over the next four years, energy development will face challenges both from the Obama Administration’s regulatory agenda, as well as from Congress. Additionally anti-development forces are ramping up efforts to block energy development at the local and state level. The regulatory action, stemming mainly from EPA, that stalled during the two years leading up to the election will continue apace, at least until the midterm elections in 2014. Despite the potential for the confirmation of a more moderate Administrator, EPA can be expected to work quickly to promulgate and finalize rules in order to insure completion by 2016. I expect that the agency will push aggressively in several areas including the regulation of coal-fired utilities, regulation of hydraulic fracturing and regulation of offshore oil and gas development.
Given the partisan divide in Congress, enactment of significant energy or environmental legislation dealing with key issues such as energy efficiency, Renewable Fuels Standard reform, and offshore development, will be extremely difficult and Congressional oversight of the federal regulatory agencies will be highly partisan and largely ineffective.