Thomas (Tom) Tanton

Credentials

• B.S. Chemistry, California State University, San Diego (1972). [1]

 Background

Tom Tanton is the Director of Science and Technology Assessment for the Energy and Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal), where he is described as “a strong proponent of free market environmentalism and consumer choice,” as well as, “frequently publish[ing] and speak[ing] against alarmist and reactionary policies and government failures.” [11]

Tanton is also the president of T2 & Associates, a consulting firm for the energy and technology industry. As president of T2 & Associates, Tanton has conducted research regarding alternate fuels for the American Petroleum Institute (API). He is also listed as a policy advisor to the Heartland Institute. [16]

In an interview about his research for API, Tanton said a “voluntary and self-interested approach” is the most effective with regards to restricting industry carbon emissions. [2]

Tanton was also General Manager for EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute, from 2000 to 2003. Prior to 2000, he was the principal policy advisor with the California Energy Commission (CEC).

Tanton is also the former vice president and senior fellow of the Institute for Energy Research (IER) from 2003 to 2007. The IER is a Houston, Texas-based think tank that has received over $200,000 in funding from oil-giant ExxonMobil.

Tanton is listed as a Senior Fellow at the Reason Foundation and contributed ‘commentary’ articles between November 2014 and August 2015. [14]

Stance on Climate Change

November 2007

“Cuts in greenhouse gases may be necessary, but it is innovation, more likely, not regulation, which will bring the breakthroughs of our energy future.” [3]

Key Quotes

“Nuclear power and offshore drilling would go a long way toward easing our energy shortfalls and financial instability.” [3]

“The erratic and highly variable nature of wind power has been found to increase rather than decrease emissions of pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act.” [1]

“Wind energy is environmentally harmful and costly to taxpayers. Furthermore, its expansion could adversely affect the nation’s electricity transmission system.” [4]

Comments Surrounding 2021 Capitol Insurrection

Tom Tanton was among dozens of the individuals and organizations profiled in DeSmog’s Disinformation Database who posted online or gave interviews about the events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. Some posted claims of election fraud, similar to those that drove the Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6. Some circulated dubious information about the insurrection itself. DeSmog has preserved a selection of notable posts related to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, including some that were later deleted or removed.

On Jan. 6, 2021, before the violence at the US Capitol during the failed insurrection, Tanton posted the following on social media:

Later that same day, Tanton’s social media account circulated an article claiming antifa had “infiltrated” the Capitol insurrection.  

On Jan. 7, 2021, BuzzFeed News investigated that article and found that the company cited by that article “says it’s ‘outright false.’” The Washington Post also reported on Jan. 7, 2021, in response to similar claims, “In fact, many of the Trump supporters who stormed into the Capitol openly boasted about their participation, live-streaming as they forced their way past police and bashed the building’s doors and windows.” [17], [18], [19], [20], [21]

The Washington Times since edited the story with a correction noting that the earlier version of the story “incorrectly stated that XRVision facial recognition software identified Antifa members among rioters who stormed the Capitol Wednesday. XRVision did not identify any Antifa members.” [22]

Tanton also posted the following Facebook message on Jan. 9, 2021:

Key Deeds

March 8, 2017

Tanton co-authored an article in Forbes on the the California model of climate regulations. He speculated about possible regulatory changes to be made under future President Trump. He argued that deregulation would lead to less pollution, saying 

“We are confident that President Trump, given his regulatory reform efforts already underway, understands that more reasonable levels of regulations, and true deregulation in some places, will lead to less pollution in the long and short term.” [13]

March 2009

Speaker at the Heartland Institute’s second International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC2). [5]

DeSmogBlog researched the funding, and found sponsor organizations had received over $47 million from energy companies and right-wing foundations, with 78% of that total coming from the Scaife Family of foundations.

See the video of his presentation below:

November 2009

Published “Top Ten Energy Myths” (PDF) with the Pacific Research Institute.

Among the “Myths” listed by Tanton: [6]

• “Offshore oil production poses environmental risks, including oil spills and pollution.”
• “Reducing our petroleum use through alternative energies lke solar and wind will increase U.S. energy security.”
• “Energy companies will not invest in clean reliable energy so we need government programs to do so.”
• “The U.S. consumes large amounts of energy and thus emits a disproportionate amount of the world’s greenhouse gasses.”
• “Federal mandates for higher-mileage cars means less energy consumption.”
• “Forcing drivers to use alternative fuels will help solve global warming.”

One of the reviewers listed for the paper is Kenneth Green of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a well-known climate change skeptic.

March 2008

Tanton was a speaker at Heartland Institute’s first International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC1) in New York City. His speech, titled “Lessons Learned from the California Experience” can be viewed below. [12]

Affiliations

• T2 & Associates — President. [7]
• Institute for Energy Research (IER) — Past Senior Fellow and Vice President, 2003 – 2007. [1]
• The Heartland Institute — Policy advisor. [8], [16]
• American Tradition Institute (ATI) — Executive Director & Director, “Science & Technology Assessment.” [10]
• Pacific Research Institute (PRI) — “Fellow in Environmental Studies” (until 2010) and author. [3]
• American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) — Co-published ALEC report with Tom Tanton (see below).
• The Reason Foundation — Tanton is listed as a Senior Fellow and contributed ‘commentary’ articles between November 2014 and August 2015. [14]
• California Energy Commission — Principal Policy Advisor, 1976-2000. [15]

Social Media

• Tom Tanton on LinkedIn
• @TantonTalkback on Twitter

Publications

Thomas Tanton has not published any articles in peer-reviewed journals.

A search of Google Scholar does reveal an article titled “Motor Fuel and Natural Disasters: Don’t Regulate.”

Further investigation reveals that the report, which Tanton co-published with climate change skeptic Robert Bradley, is part of a document published by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) titled ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, AND ECONOMICS: A Guide for State Legislators, The Fifth Edition (see PDF).

Here is ALEC‘s description of the report: [9]

“Much of the climate change debate is really about energy, not climate. The section of this guide titled Our Energy Future explains that despite current high energy prices, we will have plentiful amounts of energy in the future, as long as we do not artificially restrict our energy choices. State legislators are frequently seeing threats to energy markets in the form of calls to enact price gouging legislation. In Motor Fuel and Natural Disasters: Don’t Regulate, Robert Bradley and Thomas Tanton demonstrate how price gouging laws actually hurt consumers by failing to provide incentives for plentiful energy.”

Other Publications

• Tom Tanton. “Top Ten Energy Myths” (PDF), Pacific Research Institute, November, 2009. Archived June 25, 2012. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmogBlog.

Resources

1. “AMERICAN TRADITION INSTITUTE, et al., Plaintiffs, v. THE STATE OF COLORADO, et al., Defendants” (PDF). UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLORADO, Statement of Thomas Tanton. Republished by the American Tradition Institute.
2. Jane Van Ryan. “Energy Tomorrow Radio: Episode 86 – Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction,” EnergyTomorrow Blog, July 14, 2009. Archived February 19, 2012, with WebCite.
3. Thomas Tanton. “Lights On: An Energy Policy Survey for California” (PDF), Pacific Research Institute, November, 2007. Archived November 8, 2013. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmogBlog.
4. Thomas Tanton. “Whirlwind of Trouble,” Rocky Mountain News, January 15, 2005. Republished by Industrial Wind Action Group. Archived February 19, 2012, with WebCite.
5. “Tom Tanton ICCC2,” International Conference on Climate Change (climateconference.heartland.org). Accessed April 28, 2014.
6. Tom Tanton. “Top Ten Energy Myths” (PDF), Pacific Research Institute, November, 2009.
7. Tom Tanton. “An Estimate of the Economic Impact of A Cap-and-Trade Auction Tax On California” (PDF), T2 & Associates, March 2010 (prepared for AB 32 Implementation Group). Archived April 17, 2012. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmogBlog.
8. “Heartland Experts: Thomas Tanton,” The Heartland Institute. Accessed February, 2012.
9. ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, AND ECONOMICS: A Guide for State Legislators, The Fifth Edition (PDF). American Legislative Exchange Council, June 2007. Retrieved from SourceWatch, February, 2012.
10. “Staff & Board of Directors,” American Tradition Institute. Accessed February, 2012. Archived with WebCite, February 19, 2012.
11. “Senior Leadership,” Energy and Environment Legal Institute (formerly American Tradition Institute). Accessed April 28, 2014.
12. “First International Conference on Climate Change, Program,” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived January 16, 2016.
13.  Tanton, Tom. “How California Regulations are Polluting the World, ” Forbes. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/s2qZZ
14. “Tom Tanton: Senior Fellow,” The Reason Foundation. Accessed November 26, 2018. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/ITSTq
15. “Tom Tanton,” LinkedIn public profile. Accessed November 26, 2018. 
16. “THOMAS TANTON,” The Heartland Institute. Archived February 9, 2021. Archive URL:https://archive.vn/jiNhT
17. Rowan Scarborough. “Facial recognition firm claims Antifa infiltrated Trump protesters who stormed Capitol,” The Washington Times, January 6, 2021. Archived January 7, 2021. Archive URL:https://archive.vn/SBRvA
18. Craig Silverman. “A Facial Recognition Company Says That Viral Washington Times ‘Antifa’ Story Is False,” BuzzFeed News, January 7, 2021. Archived February 12, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/47NDU
19. Teo Armus. “Rep. Matt Gaetz and other GOP politicians baselessly suggest antifa is to blame for pro-Trump mob rioting into Capitol,” The Washington Post, January 7, 2021. Archived February 12, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/8ogtC
20. “How pro-Trump insurrectionists broke into the U.S. Capitol,” The Washington Post, January 6, 2021. Archived February 11, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/H9tVy
21. Andrea Salcedo. “GOP West Virginia state delegate live-streams as he storms Congress with pro-Trump mob: ‘We’re going in!’“ The Washington Post, January 7, 2021. Archived February 12, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/iXmob
22. Rowan Scarborough. “CORRECTED: Facial recognition identifies extremists storming the Capitol,” The Washington Times, Archived February 12, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/gzjir

Other Resources

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