Republican President Candidate Donald Trump speaks on TV during a debate with Democratic Candidate Kamala Harris
Letter from the US: Talk is cheap in US presidential election
History shows us that there is a long way to go from candidate proposals to policy implementation
Energy policy has a chequered history when it comes to the last 12 presidential elections. It played a significant role in some. In others, different matters pushed it out of the limelight. Over these 48 years, the key takeaway is that the agendas candidates discussed or promised during campaigns were seldom, if ever, implemented as originally proposed, if implemented at all. Energy was front and centre in the 1976 election as Jimmy Carter, the former Georgia governor, took on the incumbent Gerald Ford. A key pillar of Carter’s rhetoric was his claim the US lacked a coherent and effective energy policy. Ford, in contrast, blamed regulation for many of the nation’s energy-related problems. Af
Also in this section
30 July 2025
Owing to social, political and geographical factors, Canadian LNG projects are a complex proposition versus competing facilities on the US Gulf of Mexico.
29 July 2025
The EU’s Russia sanctions could have far-reaching implications for India’s Vadinar-based refinery
29 July 2025
There is a good strategic case for China to sign a deal for gas supplies via the proposed Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, but Beijing’s concerns over over-dependency on a single supplier and desire to drive down the price make it relatively unlikely that a contract will be finalised this year.
29 July 2025
EU industry and politicians are pushing back against the bloc’s green agenda. Meanwhile, Brussels’ transatlantic trade deal with Washington could consolidate US energy dominance.
