Truth in Energy and Climate (TEC) is an organization dedicated to providing information about energy, the environment, and climate. Its website features articles on climate issues like temperature, energy, glaciers, oceans, and precipitation along with relevant news. ¹

TEC is the publisher of the brochure “Refuting the Myth of Climate Change,” available for free download on its website. ²

Activities

Truth in Energy and Climate provides facts about energy, especially as it relates to climate change. In its monthly “Climate Fact Check,” TEC contests claims made by media outlets like the New York Times, the Associated Press, and Reuters that carbon emissions are driving global warming. Each month, “Climate Fact Check” compares temperatures reported by NASA satellite data that indicate a warming spike in 2024, with global temperatures of the Earth calculated by Temperature.global, which has reported cooling. Authored by TEC president Frank Lasee, “Climate Fact Check” is presented by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Heartland Institute, the Energy and Environment Legal Institute, the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, and the International Climate Science Coalition.³

In June 2022, TEC’s board chair James Stephenson was one of the co-signers of a comment letter submitted by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in regards to a proposed rule, “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors.”  ⁴ The rule, which was enacted on May 28, 2024, requires that entities registered with the SEC provide certain climate-related information in both their registration statements and annual reports. Required information includes climate-related risks that may materially impact the registrant’s business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition along with disclosures related to severe weather events and other natural conditions. ⁵ In its comment letter, CEI claims that the SEC lacks the authority to enact this rule, risks violating the First Amendment rights of regulated firms by way of compelled speech, that costs associated with complying with the rule would create a burden on the registrant, and that climate models have exaggerated the risk of future warming. Other co-signers of the comment letter represent organizations like the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions, the Energy and Environment Legal Institute, Heritage Action for America, and the Institute for Energy Research. ⁶

Financials

Truth in Energy and Climate’s financials are unclear as the organization does not appear to be registered with the Internal Revenue Service. TEC’s website features a “donate” page but the organization does not disclose its donors. ⁷

People

Frank Lasee is the president of Truth in Energy and Climate. Lasee is a former Republican member of the Wisconsin State Senate and a former administrator for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Worker’s Compensation Division during former Governor Scott Walker’s administration. ⁸ Lasee has written pieces in the Washington Examiner, the Washington Post, and Real Clear Energy. ⁹

James Stephenson is the chair of the board of TEC. ¹⁰ Stephenson formerly sat on the board of Americans for Prosperity. ¹¹

1. “Home.” Truth in Energy & Climate. Accessed August 12, 2024. Truth in Energy & Climate, March 16, 2023. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://truthinenergyandclimate.com/.
2. “‘Refuting the Myth of Climate Change’ Downloadable Brochure.”  https://truthinenergyandclimate.com/refuting-the-myth-of-climate-change-downloadable-brochure/.
3. “Climate Fact Check: July 2024 Edition.” Truth in Energy & Climate, August 12, 2024. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://truthinenergyandclimate.com/climate-fact-check-july-2024-edition/.
4. Morrison, Richard. “CEI Comments to SEC on Proposed Climate-Related Disclosures Rule.” Competitive Enterprise Institute. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://cei.org/regulatory_comments/cei-comments-to-sec-on-proposed-climate-related-disclosures-for-investors-rule/.
5. “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors.” Federal Register. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/03/28/2024-05137/the-enhancement-and-standardization-of-climate-related-disclosures-for-investors.
6.  Morrison, Richard. “CEI Comments to SEC on Proposed Climate-Related Disclosures Rule.” Competitive Enterprise Institute. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://cei.org/regulatory_comments/cei-comments-to-sec-on-proposed-climate-related-disclosures-for-investors-rule/.
7. “Donate.” Truth in Energy & Climate. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://truthinenergyandclimate.com/donate/.
8. “Frank Lasee.” Ballotpedia. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://ballotpedia.org/Frank_Lasee#cite_ref-1.
9. “Frank Lasee.” Truth in Energy & Climate. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://truthinenergyandclimate.com/author/flasee/.
10. Morrison, Richard. “CEI Comments to SEC on Proposed Climate-Related Disclosures Rule.” Competitive Enterprise Institute. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://cei.org/regulatory_comments/cei-comments-to-sec-on-proposed-climate-related-disclosures-for-investors-rule/.
11. Americans for Prosperity, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.