Not surprisingly, President Obama and Speaker John Boehner have different views on energy policy, differences brought into stark contrast by their recent statements. The president sees our nation's energy policy primarily in terms of the environment, with the economy a secondary concern. His policy is grounded in a view that government regulation and subsidies can steer us to better and cleaner energy.

On Tuesday the president unveiled plans to increase regulation of coal-fired electricity plants, erect new hurdles to building...