Capital Research Center announced on May 14 the launch of a new series of special reports examining organizations and donors influencing major public policy debates in the United States, with the first installment focusing on energy issues.
The announcement highlights the growing attention to how advocacy groups, funders, and philanthropic networks shape national conversations about energy policy. The report aims to provide readers with detailed investigations into both the financial and intellectual infrastructure behind these movements.
Kristen Eastlick, senior vice president at Capital Research Center, said: “Before we exposed the groups and their donors, we felt we owed readers something more basic: a clear-eyed look at the factual claims that give this movement its power. This edition of Capital Research examines ten energy myths, covering topics ranging from sea level rise and energy prices to nuclear safety and electric vehicles. These form the intellectual foundation upon which billions of dollars in annual advocacy rests. Understand the myths, and the rest of the story becomes much easier to follow.” Eastlick also wrote: “Our goal is to give readers a clearer picture of who is at the table, who is funding the conversation, and why it matters.”
According to Capital Research Center’s announcement, previous efforts have included tracking nonprofit environmental organizations’ leaders, funders, tactics, as well as investigating foreign contributions supporting domestic activism. The organization said it has focused on exposing financial flows within climate litigation networks and highlighting what it describes as crony capitalism related to clean energy policies.
The first issue addresses what CRC calls ten prevalent myths about U.S. energy policy—including topics such as climate emergencies, fracking impacts, carbon emissions trends since 2005 for countries like China and Germany compared with those in America—and includes articles by Ken Braun discussing both historical context (such as Yosemite’s conservationists) and current narratives around plastic pollution.
Future editions are expected to continue mapping key issues in public debate while analyzing think tanks’ roles along with major institutional or individual donors whose resources help set agendas for discussion.
