“Republicans will increase Energy Production across the board, streamline permitting, and end market-distorting restrictions on Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal.”
In the approximately 5,000-word platform of the Republican Party, some 400 (8 percent) explicitly deals with energy. All of the statements (below) are pro-consumer, pro-taxpayer, pro-economy, and pro-environment.
Nary a mention of the tired, half-century alarm of a ‘climate crisis’. No mention of forced energy transformation to dilute, intermittent, land-intensive wind and solar. No mention, logically, of a new energy tax domestically or at the international border. Free and open markets are strongly implied.
“MAKE AMERICA THE DOMINANT ENERGY PRODUCER IN THE WORLD, BY FAR!”
“Unleash American Energy. Under President Trump, the U.S. became the Number One Producer of Oil and Natural Gas in the World — and we will soon be again by lifting restrictions on American Energy Production and terminating the Socialist Green New Deal. Republicans will unleash Energy Production from all sources, including nuclear, to immediately slash Inflation and power American homes, cars, and factories with reliable, abundant, and affordable Energy.”
Reliable and Abundant Low Cost Energy. “Republicans will increase Energy Production across the board, streamline permitting, and end market-distorting restrictions on Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal. The Republican Party will once again make America Energy Independent, and then Energy Dominant, lowering Energy prices even below the record lows achieved during President Trump’s first term.”
“We commit to unleashing American Energy….”
“Common Sense tells us clearly that we must unleash American Energy if we want to destroy Inflation and rapidly bring down prices, build the Greatest Economy in History, revive our Defense Industrial Base, fuel Emerging Industries, and establish the United States as the Manufacturing Superpower of the World.”
“Our America First Economic Agenda rests on five pillars: Slashing Regulations, cutting Taxes, securing Fair Trade Deals, ensuring Reliable and Abundant Low Cost Energy, and championing Innovation.”
“We will DRILL, BABY, DRILL and we will become Energy Independent, and even Dominant again. The United States has more liquid gold under our feet than any other Nation, and it’s not even close. The Republican Party will harness that potential to power our future.”
“Republicans will reduce the Regulatory burden, lower Energy costs, and promote Economic Policies that drive down the cost of living and prices for everyday goods and services.”
“America needs determined Republican Leadership at every level of Government to address the core threats to our very survival [including] … crippling restrictions on American Energy Production….”
“Republicans will revive the U.S. Auto Industry by reversing harmful Regulations, canceling Biden’s Electric Vehicle and other Mandates, and preventing the importation of Chinese vehicles.”
“By protecting American Workers from unfair Foreign Competition and unleashing American Energy, Republicans will restore American Manufacturing, creating Jobs, Wealth, and Investment.”
“CANCEL THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE AND CUT COSTLY AND BURDENSOME REGULATIONS”
Bill McKibben, with the Amway look in his eye, states that the GOP plan is “way worse than the Taliban’s.”
Paul Krugman ‘gaslights’ his audience by insinuating that Biden is not against oil and gas:
The G.O.P. platform also pledges to “MAKE AMERICA THE DOMINANT ENERGY PRODUCER IN THE WORLD.” The subtext here is the pervasive belief on the right that woke environmentalists have undermined the U.S. energy sector.
Given how often one hears this asserted, it’s a bit shocking to look at the data and learn that America produced more energy in 2023 than ever before. In fact, we’ve become a major energy exporter, for example selling Europe vast quantities of liquefied natural gas that helped it reduce dependence on Russian supplies after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
Krugman does not understand opportunity cost–what the domestic energy industries could have done in a free-market environment. Without 225 government impediments.
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A more sober assessment from the Left was provided by Ben Geman of Axios, “Pondering Trump’s ‘Dominance’ Goal.”
The new GOP platform is two things at once on energy: an aspirational document yet one that arguably describes present reality, too.
Why it matters: The Trump-y document calls for the U.S. to be energy “dominant” and to “drill, baby, drill” and end “crippling restrictions” on production and … you get the point. Missing from the platform is any mention of climate change. It calls for “terminating the Socialist Green New Deal,” which exists only as a resolution and has never moved legislatively.
The intrigue: It comes as the U.S. is already the world’s largest oil producer — it’s not close anymore, as you can see above — the largest gas producer, and the largest LNG exporter. The Energy Department’s independent stats arm sees U.S. oil production growing to an average of almost 13.8 million barrels per day in 2025. LNG exports are also slated to keep rising based on projects approved and under construction. Looking at all energy sources together, production now outpaces consumption.
Yes, but: Republicans and some industry officials argue the U.S. isn’t reaching its full potential and that President Biden closed off exploration that would help sustain future production and investment. They point to steps like barring development on huge swaths of Alaskan federal lands and the pause on new LNG export licenses to major markets, to name just two. Critics essentially argue the White House is sowing the seeds for reduced geopolitical leverage.
The bottom line: “Dominance” is a relative term.
Much has to be done to reverse the forced energy transformation of Biden and Obama administrations. Executive orders and major budget cuts in federal energy programs are just the beginning. Existing regulations and edicts need legal challenges with a guilty-until-proven-innocent orientation (recent legal rulings observed). The Deep State that infests the U.S. Department of Energy must be eradicated with major (not minor) earmark and personal reductions.
Mere downsizing and partial measures will not hunt. Fundamental change is upon us for fiscal reform and unleashing consumer-chosen, taxpayer-neutral energies. Freed resources from unproductive or counterproductive activity will accrue to the private sector to meet consumer demand. A win-win for everyone except for the Climate Industrial Complex.
In the NYT today, the GOP’s lack of a policy position on ‘climate change’ was elucidated:
“’I want absolutely immaculate clean water and I want absolutely clean air, and we had it,’ Mr. Trump responded, without answering the question [about climate change]. Mr. Trump’s spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, later declined to clarify the former president’s position or discuss any actions he would take regarding climate change, saying only that he wants ‘energy dominance’.”
– Lisa Friedman, “At the Republican National Convention, Climate Change Isn’t a Problem,” NYT (July 16, 2024)
Is it possible that New York’s citizens would receive an excellent and long overdue education by the appointment of Coral Davenport and Lisa Friedman as co-CEOs of the New York ISO?
How long do you think it would take for the lesson to be learned?