Ed note: Travis Fisher, a protege of economist Roy Cordato at North Carolina State University, has blossomed into one of America’s top energy analysts and public policy entrepreneurs. With a grounding in classical liberalism and Austrian school (realistic) economics, Fisher represents the future of applied energy analysis. “Travis stood out because he was genuinely interested in ideas,” recalls Professor Cordato. “His intense interest, as a graduate student, led him to do an independent study with me in Austrian Political Economy, which he has built upon ever since.”
Travis Fisher has emerged as a thoughtful, principled, and influential voice in contemporary American energy policy. As Director of Energy and Environmental Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, he brings a rare combination of intellectual rigor, hands-on governmental experience, and an unwavering commitment to free-market principles.…
“We’ve got to call out the greenwishing of energy’s future. Excitement is good; delusion isn’t. Let’s demand proof, not promises. Reliable, affordable energy isn’t a luxury—it’s the foundation of modern life—time to get serious about what energy technologies actually scales.”
I’ve been watching this energy debate for years, and I’m tired of the hype. We’ve got politicians, billionaires, and startups promising the next big “green” breakthrough that’ll solve everything from climate change to data center power demands, with no downsides.
But most of it is what I call greenwishing—a cousin to greenwashing, where they polish up promising energy ideas, but unproven, unscalable technologies with fancy renderings, press releases, and government grants, all while the real engineering and economics lag behind.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for clean, reliable, affordable energy.…
“Robert L. Bradley Jr. has never chased trends or grants. He has followed the evidence—market signals, engineering realities, and the record of human progress under freedom. In doing so, he has educated generations of policymakers, students, and citizens about why energy abundance matters and how free markets deliver it best.”
In the often polarized world of energy policy and climate debate, few voices have offered such consistent, evidence-based clarity as Robert L. Bradley Jr. A Houston native, prolific author, founder of the Institute for Energy Research (IER), and creator of the influential free-market energy blog MasterResource.org, Bradley has spent more than four decades illuminating the interplay of markets, regulation, technology, and human ingenuity in powering modern civilization.
As we mark the ongoing relevance of his work in 2026, a tribute to Bradley is not merely a look back at a remarkable career but a celebration of his enduring intellectual leadership—particularly in the last five years, when his analyses have proven prescient amid the unraveling of aggressive “energy transition” mandates.…