Will energy policy be affected by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) assuming the role of House Majority Leader?  

Michelle Hackman in the Wall Street Journal : “Two days before Mr. Cantor’s primary defeat, Mr. McCarthy said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal his top priority this upcoming session is to address energy issues . Chief among his targets, Mr. McCarthy has said, is the Obama administration’s decision to regulate greenhouse gases without congressional approval. Mr. McCarthy also plans to introduce legislation that would allow states to buy back federal land in their jurisdiction, which would spur greater energy development by bypassing federal regulations.”  

Jason Plautz in the National Journal comments on McCarthy’s views on the EPA :  

“The Environmental Protection Agency is already facing a war on multiple fronts as it works to review its smog standards this year … And now Eric Cantor’s upset loss has put one of the ozone rule’s congressional critics—House Whip and presumed next Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy—in position to keep fighting it from the top.”  

Nick Juliano at Green Wire adds that wind power could be threatened: “A source close to McCarthy told Greenwire he is not in favor of renewing the production tax credit, which expired at the end of last year. Extending the $23-per-megawatt-hour credit has been the top priority for wind, geothermal and other energy companies that warn their businesses could collapse without the credit.”