U.S. energy production is also heavily subsidized through favorable tax treatment, protective tariffs, market mandates, loan guarantees, grants, and various other subsidy programs. TCS evaluates federal energy spending—including fossil fuels, renewable energy, hydrogen, nuclear, biofuels, and carbon capture and storage (CCS)—to ensure these subsidies don’t create additional long-term liabilities for taxpayers in the form of market distortions and inefficiencies, climate change, and related consequences like increased food and energy costs for consumers. Furthermore, over time, various layers of energy subsidies often work at cross-purposes with each other, reducing federal revenues at the expense of taxpayers.
Across these issues, TCS advocates for taxpayer safeguards to prevent fraud and against duplicative and unnecessary spending. By opposing giveaways that undermine taxpayers’ interests, we ensure federal energy and natural resource policies reflect fiscal responsibility and protect public assets.
You can find all of our recent work on this issue below, or click the orange links above to explore specific issues within Energy and Natural Resources.