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As the former governor of the great State of Texas and then as secretary of energy, I know firsthand the energy challenges we face as a country – from energy generation and diversification to distribution capabilities, to grid resilience and security.
Though we have made great strides as a state and a nation in many of these areas, much work remains.
While much of the national debate this election cycle has focused on the broader economy and border security, perhaps no other issue is as all-encompassing as energy. And the presidential nominees’ records and approaches to energy policy could not be more different.
People hold signs calling for President Biden to support a Green New Deal and end his support of pipelines and the fossil fuel industry, in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 29, 2021. (Tim Evans/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
On the one hand, you have presumptive Democrat presidential nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris, who as both attorney general and senator for California, pursued an ultra-progressive energy agenda that included suing her own party’s administration over their plans for offshore drilling and being an original co-sponsor of the Green New Deal.
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As a presidential candidate in 2020, she supported a complete ban on fracking – though she was forced to walk back her position to align with President Biden’s.
More recently, the Biden-Harris administration moved to pause liquefied natural gas (LNG) export approvals, which quickly drew pushback from many prominent Democrats, including Pennsylvania Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey.
Gov. Josh Shapiro – a potential running mate for Harris – has also been wary of the pause, which is not surprising given Pennsylvania is the second-largest natural gas producing state after Texas, with more than 123,000 jobs supported by the sector.
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The Biden-Harris administration has prioritized radical ideology and the green agenda over the needs of Americans. This has devastated our economy, grid resiliency and energy security across the country.
On the other hand, you have former President Trump, who, as a lifelong business leader and then as president, has established a proven track record of putting America, its economy, its people and its security first. Under President Trump’s leadership, we made the U.S. the number one oil and natural gas producer worldwide.
We also implemented an all-of-the-above energy strategy that led to record-low gas prices for American families. To strengthen our national security and bolster our global leadership, we worked toward making America energy independent so that we no longer rely on foreign sources for our energy supply.
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The Trump administration’s policies spurred historic economic growth and job creation. And President Trump knows the best way to combat the inflation brought to us by the Biden-Harris administration is to repeal the crippling red tape they have put on American energy production. The administration should embrace natural gas to support our allies overseas and strengthen our nation’s grid amid recent reports of projected instability.
When it comes to energy, the economy and national security, the stakes have never been higher. A recent report shows that if we continue to reject reliable energy sources like oil and gas, “the pace of development and deployment of new resources continue to lag and may result in a shortfall in supply by 2030.”
In New York, the state’s independent grid operator is warning they are at risk of widespread blackouts within the next decade if the state doesn’t act.
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According to a report on the study by Politico, “The New York Independent System Operator has been warning of tightening reliability margins for years as the state seeks to shut down older power plants while the pace of building new renewables has lagged. But this would be the first time this assessment process has identified a long-term statewide reliability problem – more simply, a risk of blackouts above stringent regulatory standards.”
Every hurricane season, we see the grid tested in Texas, as recently experienced with Hurricane Beryl. My home state faces numerous grid reliability challenges – from a growing population and incredible business expansion to vegetation management to transmission issues.
Once again, the state – led by Gov. Greg Abbott – along with the legislature, the Public Utilities Commission, local utilities, and community leaders are all working to learn the lessons of Beryl and act swiftly to recover and rebuild stronger ahead of the next storm.
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In order to address our country’s grid resiliency challenges, it will take federal, state and local leaders, and businesses working together to implement bold strategies that limit red tape, increase exploration and diversification, and advance innovation and technology solutions.
Our country needs to embrace an all-of-the-above energy strategy and recognize the importance of baseload power, including small modular nuclear reactors and natural gas that promotes domestic energy production and ensures both national and international energy security.
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