Although the United States has massive resources of oil and natural gas, Americans now face energy scarcity, an electric grid that is less reliable, and shortages of natural gas and oil — all of which have imposed higher prices on consumers and the economy.
Worse, none of this had to happen. This is an entirely avoidable reversal of America’s energy renaissance, which began in the first decade of the 2000s. It transformed the United States from a net energy importer (of oil and natural gas) into an energy-independent and then energy-dominant state.
The next Republican administration will surely start using our nation’s abundant resources to provide people with more affordable energy. This means repairing the damage done in the past couple of years and making America a place where energy companies want to do business.
Rather than encourage energy companies to take advantage of this abundance, the Biden administration has focused on renewable energy, made with components imported primarily from China. The Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must change course through a new set of policies.