AcknowledgmentsHow to Use This BookIntroduction1 Fossil FuelsQ1 Is the United States likely to run out of fossil fuels by 2045?Q2 Has market concentration increased among U.S. oil and gas producers?Q3 Is the United States dependent on Middle Eastern oil?Q4 Did U.S. plans over several administrations to achieve "energy independence" bring about a large increase of shale oil and gas supplies during the 2010s?Q5 Have market conditions that favor natural gas and renewable energy and place coal at a competitive disadvantage been too great for pro-coal politicians and the coal industry to effectively counter?Q6 Are total federal and state subsidies greater for fossil fuels than for the major renewables?Q7 Are electric vehicles (EVs) likely to replace up to 30 percent of the current market share of gas-guzzling transport in the United States by 2045?Q8 Do some experts expect renewables to account for the majority of American energy consumption by 2045?2 Major Renewables 45Q9 Is it realistic for the United States to develop an energy system entirely based on renewable power by 2050?Q10 Is it feasible to double the amount of hydropower in the U.S. energy mix in the mid- to long term (25-50 years)?Q11 Is it feasible to double the amount of nuclear power in the U.S. energy mix in the mid- to long term (25-50 years)?Q12 Is development of wind and solar power lagging because of an insufficient production of metals (e.g., cobalt, cadmium, lithium, and rare earth elements) used in those technologies?Q13 Are conflicts over public land use on the increase between anti-fossil fuel groups and the (oil/gas/coal) industry?Q14 Are state ballot propositions to limit fossil fuels and renewables becoming more popular?3 AlternativesQ15 Will use of biomass to generate energy significantly increase by 2045?Q16 Will a higher percentage of ethanol in fuel (E15) dominate the transportation energy market by 2025?Q17 Are alternative fuels and gases from renewable sources likely to become more important for heating/electricity generation by 2045? 104Q18 Will geothermal and tidal/wave power significantly increase in the U.S. energy profile by 2045?4 Energy in Action 115Q19 Does the current power grid have sufficient reliability and resilience to meet expected blackouts?Q20 Will the electricity grid of the United States have sufficient capability by 2030 to meet expected needs for power in the next generation?Q21 Is the U.S. power grid sustainable?Q22 Is electricity affordable for most Americans?Q23 Can the U.S. energy grid be protected against environmental and security threats and pressures?Q24 Can the U.S. power grid be adequately protected against risks of electronic disruptions from hackers, terrorist organizations, and hostile nations (e.g., Iran, Russia, China)?5 Legal and Regulatory FrameworksQ25 Has divided control of the executive and legislative branches constrained presidential administrations from making major changes in U.S. energy policy in recent years?Q26 Are partisan political considerations increasingly dictating how federal agencies and departments-including those related to the energy industry-operate and who leads them?Q27 Did the Trump administration politicize scientific research in U.S. energy and environmental policymaking?Q28 Did regulatory reforms proposed by the Trump administration resemble those of any other president in the postwar era?Q29 Have federal departments and regulatory agencies been "captured" by the industries and business interests they are responsible for regulating?Q30 Have federal-state conflicts over energy and environmental policies increased in the last decade?6 Trade-OffsQ31 Has the Clean Air Act and subsequent amendments improved U.S. air quality in the last decade?Q32 Have CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards reduced carbon dioxide emissions?Q33 Do most Americans believe that continued consumption of fossil fuels will increase the severity of climate change?Q34 Have clean water laws and regulations improved U.S. water quality?Q35 Have oil and gas exploration and development reduced critical habitat of endangered species in the United States?Q36 Did environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) file fewer lawsuits against government agencies in the 2010s than the 1970s?Q37 Is the proposed green new deal (GND) a feasible model for environmental improvement in the United States?7 ConclusionsQ38 Has the U.S. energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables been stopped or merely delayed by economic volatility and the COVID-19 global health crisis?Q39 Have the separation of powers (especially the courts' increasing strength) and federalism become major determinants of U.S. energy and environmental outcomes?AbbreviationsIndex