In 2016, candidate Donald Trump made clear that he would get us off foreign energy. He recognized the clear national security and economic need. As he saw it, American presidents had been supplicants to other energy-producing nations for far too long. They were weak! The American people knew that only a strong president could give America the vital energy independence we needed. That is why America voted Trump into office in 2016.
Trump promised that we would not rule out any potential energy sources. He spoke of promising advancements in coal, oil, and gas, but also in nuclear, solar, wind, and hydroelectric power generation. No option was off the table in his mission to make America energy independent. We could not afford to put all our eggs in one basket, whether that basket be fossil fuels, renewables, or something else. Supporting innovation to make new technologies more reliable was a major focus for him, but he did not forsake America’s vital coal, oil, or natural gas industries either.
President Trump followed through on his promise in record time. He rapidly cut regulations so Americans could restart coal and fracking. Within just a few months, America was on its path to energy independence. By the end of 2018, the dream was realized. We did not need a fifty-year plan or a twenty-year plan. We just needed an elected official with the boldness to do what had to be done.
However, Trump’s work on energy is far from over. He and his Energy Department encourage rapid expansion into new fields including safe and efficient Generation IV Nuclear Power. Reactors of that scale will not be finished until President Trump has left office, but it isn’t all about the credit for him. He is investing in America’s energy future as well as her present. The best is yet to come. President Trump showed the world how to put American energy first so we didn’t have to allow dictators in the Persian Gulf to hold us hostage. America is in charge of its own energy production and our future is bright.
