🔗 Share this article

Per a fresh review, numerous of personnel having histories in the fossil fuel industry have been placed within the present administration, including over 40 who earlier worked straight for oil firms.

Context of the Analysis

The report examined the histories of nominees and officials working in the executive branch and multiple federal departments handling environmental matters. Those encompass important entities like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Interior Department, and the Energy Department.

Larger Administrative Context

This analysis surfaces while continuing actions to weaken environmental policies and renewable energy incentives. As an example, recent bills have opened large areas of public property for drilling and eliminated funding for clean sources.

Amid the barrage of bad developments that have happened on the environment arena... it’s vital to inform the citizens that these are not just actions from the nebulous, huge thing that is the government broadly, stated one analyst participating in the analysis. It is commonly particular actors coming from particular powerful groups that are carrying out this damaging anti-regulatory agenda.

Major Results

Researchers discovered 111 employees whom they deemed as fossil fuel insiders and alternative energy adversaries. That encompasses 43 officials who were directly serving by coal enterprises. Included in them are well-known senior officials such as the head of energy, who formerly worked as top executive of a fracking company.

This roster furthermore features lower-profile government members. As an illustration, the office responsible for energy efficiency is led by a ex- oil manager. Similarly, a high-level regulatory consultant in the White House has occupied senior roles at prominent petroleum firms.

Other Links

An additional 12 appointees were found to have connections to fossil fuel-funded rightwing policy organizations. These include former staff and associates of groups that have strongly fought renewable energy and promoted the use of fossil fuels.

A total of 29 further appointees are former industry executives from heavy industry industries whose operations are directly tied to oil and gas. Additional officials have associations with energy firms that sell traditional energy or elected representatives who have advocated pro-coal agendas.

Agency Emphasis

Analysts identified that 32 personnel at the Department of the Interior alone have connections to polluting sectors, rendering it the highest compromised federal department. That includes the leader of the department, who has consistently accepted energy funding and acted as a conduit between oil and gas business donors and the campaign.

Political Finance

Energy donors donated significant resources to the campaign effort and ceremony. After taking office, the government has not only implemented industry-friendly policies but also designed incentives and exceptions that advantage the industry.

Qualifications Concerns

In addition to oil-tied candidates, the researchers noted several government higher-ups who were nominated to key positions with scant or no pertinent experience.

These people may not be connected to fossil fuels so directly, but their lack of expertise is dangerous, remarked one analyst. It is reasonable to think they will be pushovers, or vulnerable targets, for the energy sector’s agenda.

For example, the candidate to lead the environmental agency’s division of legal affairs has very little court experience, having never tried a case to verdict, never taken a deposition, and nor argued a court petition.

In a separate instance, a White House advisor focusing on energy policy moved to the job after being employed in positions disconnected to the industry, with no apparent relevant sector or regulatory background.

White House Response

One spokesperson for the administration rejected the report, stating that the administration’s personnel are extremely qualified to execute on the public’s instruction to increase domestic resource development.

Previous and Present Context

This government oversaw a massive array of deregulatory actions during its first tenure. During its second tenure, backed with conservative agendas, it has overseen a far more extensive and harsher dismantling on ecological policies and clean power.

There’s no hesitation, commented one researcher. The administration is willing and willing to go out there and publicize the fact that they are doing benefits for the oil and gas industry, resource field, the energy industry.