Jump-Starting a New Era of Energy Realism

The United States is experiencing a pivotal moment in energy policy, with nearly unprecedented momentum being created at the federal level by President Donald Trump, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, among a host of others.

The momentum from the top has been supercharged by the President’s declaration of an energy emergency, and all of that motion has given every single American an opportunity to know more and do more as an energy consumer. That is because the total reversal from the previous Administration’s all-out efforts to limit American energy options has opened a window to have honest, realistic conversations about what it takes to have affordable, reliable, resilient and clean energy; and exactly what that means for our daily lives and our overall economy.

The president's initial weeks in office have brought a renewed focus on pragmatic energy solutions. Energy Secretary Chris Wright brings extensive industry experience as the former CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy. His leadership promises to expand production, advance technological innovation, and enhance "energy security and prosperity."

Similarly, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum aims to cut unnecessary regulations and make it easier to develop energy on federal lands.  His early actions will also end the previous Administration’s de facto – and damaging – ban on development in the Gulf of Mexico. Administrator Zeldin is renewing a commitment to EPA’s core mission and removing redundant control over our nation’s refining and industry.  These appointments signal a return to expertise-driven policymaking, grounded in practical knowledge about what it takes to produce and deliver energy.

As for those who are crying foul and calling for an immediate end to this effort to leverage our energy resources – these are the same people who blindly protested, delayed and attempted to stop every energy project imaginable – from oil, gas, wind, pipelines and transmission. Their every action served only to increase energy costs and harm our economy – all while doing nothing for our environment.

This momentum shift is a perfect moment for American consumers - families, farmers, and small businesses – to learn more and do more to protect their right to affordable, reliable and cleaner energy. As omnipresent as energy is in our lives, how it gets to our light switches or into our gas tanks remains a mystery to many. That why so many misguided energy policies have been foisted upon Americans in states like California and New York, all of them imports of European policies that have stunted economic growth, cost jobs and led to record high prices.

Energy realism is back in the conversation. Facts are back in fashion, and here are a few that can’t be ignored. First and foremost, oil, gas and coal currently provide 83% of U.S. energy (down from 84% in 2014), and petroleum is used for more than 6,000 products we use daily. There is simply no getting around this reality, and to believe these resources can be wished away overnight is impractical and economically harmful.

We need an expansive, inclusive energy approach that uses every asset we have - natural gas, oil, nuclear, solar, wind, and emerging technologies - if we're going to meet our growing energy needs while ensuring reliability and affordability.

The urgency of this balanced approach is underscored by our current energy crunch, driven by the exploding demand for AI data centers that require immense power needs on top of the normal growth caused economic expansion. McKinsey estimates that the demand for data center capacity will rise at an average rate of 33% a year to 2030, which is a generational level of growth rarely seen in the history America’s electricity system.

Relief is needed, because by last year, energy prices had surged nearly 30% since 2021, which contributed to the high inflation experienced during President Biden’s term. Electricity’s cost has risen at its fastest rate in a generation, at least 8% on a three-year annualized basis, as the costs of government mandates about how electricity is to be produced began showing up in people’s bills. Consequently, 20% of Americans were unable to pay some or all of their energy bills in 2024, even after trimming other expenses, a recent LendingTree study found.

This should not be a partisan issue, since energy cost and reliability impact every American family. Regardless of your political persuasion, choosing candidates at every level who understand and support sensible energy policy must be front of mind for every one of us who wants a healthy economy.

Addressing these challenges, President Trump recently issued an Executive Order aimed at reining in agencies that have wielded significant executive branch authority independently. This move seeks to restore accountability and ensure government actions align with creating a more efficient regulatory environment that supports energy production and innovation while maintaining environmental standards.

Despite what we often hear in the media, natural gas, nuclear power, and other traditional energy sources will remain essential components of our energy mix for the foreseeable future, and understanding their role is crucial. None are inconsistent with a cleaner environment, unless you believe that America’s long history of innovation and technological progress is over.

Energy realism’s return also gives us a chance to address some semantic issues, where words have been twisted to make people fear the worst or doubt well-intentioned efforts. Think about this for a moment: why are changes to environmental regulations to modernize them or make them more efficient solemnly declared to be rollbacks? Why is that one of the main arenas where improvement is seen as a detriment? And will anyone use the word rollback if energy prices start to decline?

This return to energy realism isn't about partisan politics - it's about facts, honest conversations, and ending the one-sided echo chamber of policy ideas that have only made energy more expensive and less available, as consumers in Germany, California, and New York have unfortunately discovered.

Our current energy moment in America is a chance for a pragmatic reset, a better-educated public and a cleared understanding that energy can be affordable, reliable and cleaner if we make the smart moves with a keen sense of balance.

We’ve got this moment, and all we need to do is seize it.