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
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally
