Columbia Energy Exchange

US Energy Policy in a Partisan Era

Sep 23, 2025
Sean Casten, U.S. Representative for Illinois’s 6th District and an ex-clean energy CEO, dives into the complexities of U.S. energy policy amid deepening partisanship. He discusses the impact of recent rollbacks in climate provisions, emphasizing the need for pragmatic approaches and bipartisan cooperation. Casten highlights the urgency of addressing rising electricity demand, the challenges of grid modernization, and the significance of the Inflation Reduction Act. His insights call for strategic support for transition communities and the future of clean energy.
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INSIGHT

Energy Policy Should Prioritize Consumers

  • Sean Casten argues energy policy should prioritize reliable, affordable energy for consumers rather than producer profits.
  • He warns politicians too often answer energy insecurity with “drill” instead of holistic consumer-focused policy.
ANECDOTE

Raised Inside Energy Policy Culture

  • Sean Casten recounts growing up around PERPA and district energy through his father's testimony and company work.
  • He says that upbringing made industry terms and policies part of his early life and worldview.
INSIGHT

Extraction Legacy Shapes U.S. Energy Choices

  • Casten highlights U.S. history of prioritizing extraction over efficient energy use as a political and economic legacy.
  • He links resource abundance to policy choices that favored extraction incentives over efficiency.
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