It should all add up to one of the most ambitious years in energy and climate policy in decades, from a president who is free to act with no more elections to face, no further concern over protecting the Senate’s moderate Democrats, and not much chance of compromise on these issues with the GOP-held Congress.
But Republicans, with the Senate under their control, vow to wield their spending and investigative powers to ensure none of this goes down easily.
The collision between a strengthened GOP and a president with just two years to cement his legacy will be one of 2015's biggest policy dramas, while setting markers that will have repercussions for the 2016 presidential campaign.
