Markets vs. Mandates: The First Steps Towards Clean Energy Markets

Published March 6, 2025

When it comes to clean energy, finding the right balance between market-driven solutions and government mandates is crucial. While massive federal funding aims to accelerate clean energy adoption, excessive regulations and complex permitting processes often turn promising projects into 'graveyard' ventures. By cutting red tape and fostering market-driven solutions, policymakers can create a regulatory environment where clean energy can thrive—delivering sustainable outcomes, economic growth, and energy innovation. Learn more about Markets vs. Mandates here.

Dominic (Nick) Parker is the Ilene and Morton Harris Senior Fellow (adjunct) at the Hoover Institution and serves editorial roles at three leading journals on environmental economics. Parker joins Hoover senior fellow Terry Anderson in directing Hoover projects on Renewing Indigenous Economies and Markets vs. Mandates, which analyzes incentives for improving environmental quality. Terry Anderson is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and is one of the founders of “free market environmentalism,” the idea of using markets and property rights to solve environmental problems.

Check out more from Dominic Parker and from Terry Anderson:

Watch the first "Markets vs. Mandates" video from Dominic Parker & Terry Anderson here.

Watch "Horsepower or Kilowatt Hour?" from Terry Anderson here.

Watch "Climate Anxiety and the Objectivity Crisis" from Dominic Parker here.

The opinions expressed in this video are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University. © 2025 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.