Energy

As a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Wyden has continued to push for a national energy policy that focuses on domestic production, renewability, carbon reduction and protections for energy consumers.  

Senator Wyden was the first Senator to request a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) investigation of Enron, uncovering the smoking gun memos that proved their schemes to inflate West Coast energy prices.  His investigations of oil company activities exposed efforts to constrain domestic supply and drive up prices for consumers.  His oversight of the Minerals Management Service uncovered severe ethical lapses and led to new rules and an overhaul of the agency.

In 2006, Wyden began working to create a tax-free benefit for bicycle commuting which became law in 2008 and has continued to push for innovative policies to increase automotive fuel mileage while preserving consumer choice.

In 2022, under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Senate passed Wyden's landmark Clean Energy for America Act, the most consequential climate legislation of our lifetime. His bill will result in an estimated 40 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, lower energy costs for families, and create good-paying clean energy jobs on American soil.