FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: sydney@pelicaninstitute.org
March 13, 2026
New Orleans, LA— The Pelican Institute for Public Policy today released Barriers to Louisiana Energy Dominance, a comprehensive white paper examining the legislative, regulatory, and public-discourse obstacles preventing Louisiana from realizing its full energy potential. Louisiana possesses the natural resources and geographic positioning to lead the nation, yet it is being held back by a toxic cocktail of outdated government-centric approaches reminiscent of mid-20th-century Longism, coastal lawsuit abuse, and over $115 million in out-of-state funding directed at shutting down its foundational industry.
“Louisiana has every natural advantage—abundant resources, world-class ports, and a highly skilled workforce,” said Daniel Erspamer, CEO of the Pelican Institute. “Yet, our state continues to be held back by outdated government policies and a network of well-funded campaigns aiming to undermine the energy sector that has driven Louisiana forward for generations. This report shines a light on those obstacles and empowers lawmakers and citizens alike with the facts they need to champion meaningful change and secure our state’s future.”
Key Findings from the Report:
- Outdated State Laws: Louisiana’s mid-twentieth-century monopoly utility structures insulate incumbent providers from competition, leaving consumers without choice and rewarding inefficient capital spending. Overlapping and redundant permitting processes create costly delays, while burdensome occupational licensing requirements restrict the skilled workforce pipeline needed to meet growing industrial demand.
- Regulatory and Legal Uncertainty: More than 40 coastal erosion lawsuits filed by parish governments against energy companies have created massive investment uncertainty. This wave of litigation has driven capital out of the state, resulted in roughly 2,000 lost energy jobs, and caused Louisiana’s share of the national GDP to plummet—representing more than $600 billion in lost economic activity.
- Outside Influence and Public Debate: At least $115.5 million in out-of-state funding—primarily from donors in California, Washington, D.C., and New York—is flowing to Louisiana-based groups working to shut down the state’s foundational energy industry. Top donors include Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bezos Earth Fund, Waverley Street Foundation, Windward Fund, and the Tides Foundation. The report also documents expansive legal operations by Earthjustice and raises urgent concerns over its financial ties to Energy Foundation China, an organization scrutinized for alleged connections to the Chinese Communist Party.
The report builds on the Pelican Institute’s previously released Roadmap to Reform: Six Pillars for Louisiana Energy Dominance, which calls for streamlined permitting, reduced litigation risk, sensible tax policy, enhanced market competition, expanded consumer choice in electric power, and removal of government barriers to production. Together, the two reports present both a vision and a frank accounting of what stands in the way.
The full report, Barriers to Louisiana Energy Dominance, is available here: https://pelicanpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Barriers-to-Louisiana-Energy-Dominance-Paper.pdf.
Barriers to Louisiana Energy Dominance Paper
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The Pelican Institute for Public Policy is a non-profit, non-partisan research institute dedicated to removing barriers to human flourishing and expanding freedom and opportunity for all Louisianans. Through research, education, and advocacy, Pelican works to build a Louisiana where everyone has the chance to succeed.
