The United States is the leader of the world by nearly every measure, a fact highlighted more than ever during the early weeks of Donald Trump’s second term as president.
Every decision or comment that Trump makes – from tariffs on foreign goods, to ruminations on the future of Canada and Greenland, to the level of U.S. involvement in Ukraine’s war with Russia – sends reverberations around the globe in ways that no other nation can match.
The U.S. wields that kind of influence because it remains unmatched in its economic strength – strength based on the principles of innovation, freedom, and personal prosperity. And nothing is more crucial to America’s economic engine than its energy supply.
The U.S. can only maintain its supremacy when we can power our factories, fuel our transportation, and heat and cool our homes safely, efficiently, and affordably. That’s why the push from the radical left to replace affordable and reliable energy with government-subsidized “alternative energy” gimmicks is not only economically unsustainable, but dangerous to national security.
Promoters of wind and solar inundate the media with misleading claims, such as declaring last year that “90% of new electricity capacity in 2024 to date comes from renewables.” Sounds like a lot – until you realize that “new electricity” amounts to only 3 percent of total electricity capacity in 2024 and as little as 1 percent projected for 2025. In reality, about 60 percent of electricity generated in the U.S. is thanks to fossil fuels, with natural gas accounting for more than 40 percent of that total.
Conversely, about 97 percent of projects currently seeking approval under Biden era “green energy credit” incentives are weather dependent and unreliable to meet demands.
The benefits of natural gas are becoming increasingly evident. Natural gas is plentiful and affordable. It’s by far the cleanest fossil fuel, made even cleaner by modern emission technologies. As such, natural gas is increasingly being recognized as “green,” including by legislative fiat.
In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed a bill in early 2023 designating natural gas as “green energy.” A few months later, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed a similar measure. A comparable bill is working its way through the Indiana legislature, while still other states are crafting legislation expanding the definition of “green energy” to natural gas, biomass, or nuclear energy.
For too long, “clean” energy has been defined by special interests who are heavily invested in propping up wind, solar, hydro, or geothermal technologies. Such narrow definitions have shunted aside the nation’s most affordable and reliable energy resources when it comes to the fight for federal dollars designated for “green” projects.
As Maureen Ferguson, an official with the American Petroleum Institute, pointed out to Indiana lawmakers, “The newest gas-fired generators in the U.S. are more efficient and have lower emission rates – roughly 65% below that of the average coal plant.” But tragically, the Biden administration prioritized radical left energy initiatives over safety and security, subsequently hampering the ability of Americans to continue enjoying affordable and reliable energy in their homes and businesses.
While it’s encouraging that states are slowly embracing common-sense energy policies, what’s needed is a national strategy that begins to translate Trump’s “drill, baby drill” vision into legislative action.
To that end, U.S. Reps. Troy Balderson (R-OH) and August Pfluger (R-TX) recently introduced a resolution defining natural gas as affordable and green energy, detailing how natural gas lowers emissions while remaining a leader in meeting America’s energy demands. Balderson followed that with legislation designed to fast-track power generation projects to improve the reliability of the nation’s electric grid and overcome a dangerous backlog of projects.
Sen. John Hoeven, co-sponsor of identical legislation in the U.S. Senate, said, “The reliability of the electric grid has been undermined for years by Green New Deal policies advanced under the Obama and Biden administrations, whose heavy-handed approach to regulation has forced the retirement of critically-needed baseload power plants. The result is an unstable grid, power shortages and more brownouts and blackouts.”
The actions taken so far at the state and federal levels are good first steps, but Americans deserve more. Model legislation has already been drafted that would ensure America’s security and protect the U.S. from being at the mercy of foreign nations.
Among other things, the ARC Energy Security Act would require fuel to be domestically sourced, have a stable and predictable cost, be readily available 24/7, and logically redefine “green energy” as energy resources that reduce air pollutants – including energy generated by nuclear reactors and natural gas.
For too long, the far left has monopolized the “climate change” conversation while holding America hostage to its radical energy demands – all while endangering the safety and security of the United States, accumulating trillions in taxpayer debt, and attempting to destroy our most reliable and abundant energy resources.
There is still time to reverse the damage, but only if state and federal lawmakers act now to codify America’s energy independence and security into law.
Gary Abernathy is a longtime newspaper editor, reporter and columnist. He was a contributing columnist for the Washington Post from 2017-2023 and a frequent guest analyst across numerous media platforms. He is a contributing columnist for The Empowerment Alliance, which advocates for realistic approaches to energy consumption and environmental conservation.
