100 Days of Energy Progress
May 5, 2025
At the 100 Day mark of President Trump’s second term, it’s easy to say that our energy policy is back on the right track. It has progressed in the direction of common-sense that we so desperately needed after four years of former President Biden’s green-at-any-cost debacles. On his very first day in office, Trump declared a National Energy Emergency: “We need a reliable, diversified, and affordable supply of energy to drive our Nation’s manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and defense industries, and to sustain the basics of modern life and military preparedness.” This action shows that our nation finally has a leader that gets the assignment when it comes to energy.
At TEA we are overwhelmingly pleased with the renewed dedication to affordable, reliable and clean energy for America’s security. Here’s a breakdown of Trump’s successes so far in each area…and some places where his energy policy can grow and improve.
Affordable Energy Grade: A
Trump and his Energy Dream Team of advisors made it one of their first missions to roll back the billions in green energy handouts in Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and roll back other costly spending on unnecessary programs that just drive up costs for everyday Americans. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin cut over $22 billion in environmental-justice grants and contracts to “reprioritize EPA’s commitment to protecting human health and the environment.”
And, the effects of this shift aren’t just long term. We are already seeing lower prices at the pump compared to the damaging spikes in gasoline prices of the last few years. According to GasBuddy, there have even been rumors of some gasoline falling below the symbolic $2/gallon mark. While such rumors have yet to be tested, at the end of April, the lowest priced gasoline was under $3/gallon in 44 states—with it as low as $2.19/gallon in Texas.
Reliable Energy Grade: A
Under Biden, we saw a policy of picking energy winners and losers—not based on the merits of an energy source but on green dreams and climate hysteria. Trump and his energy team have refocused energy policy from those dark days. Trump’s “Drill, baby, Drill” mantra isn’t just a slogan.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has been hard at work implementing policies designed to “unleash” American energy and “encourage energy exploration and production on federal lands and waters to meet the needs of our citizens and solidify the United States as a global energy leader.” In 2022, approximately 11% of oil and 9% of natural gas produced in the U.S. came from federal lands. A renewed dedication to maximizing our American energy resources and building needed energy infrastructure is the policy we need to make sure the lights stay on and energy gets to those who need it most.
Clean Energy Grade: B
The new administration has shown a shift from climate rhetoric to real environmental action. A renewed focus on enforcement of environmental laws at the EPA rather than propagandizing green rhetoric is a win for our environment. An end to propping up so-called “green” energy sources with subsidies is also a win for clean energy. Energy sources like wind and solar aren’t nearly as environmentally friendly as “green” activists would have you believe and a level playing field allows for all energy sources to be considered on their environmental merits equally. The Administration place a moratorium on controversial offshore wind installations and put a 60-day pause on new wind and solar permits on federal lands because all energy projects need the same level of environmental scrutiny as that usually aimed at oil and gas.
However, clean energy does seem to be an afterthought compared to affordable and reliable. This is America. We can do all three. The Trump Administration can do better here by recognizing natural gas as the clean and green energy standard by which all other energy sources should be measured. Natural gas has already lowered emissions from electricity generation by 61 percent since 2005. American ingenuity is exactly what will create a real path for the future of clean energy without compromising affordability and reliability.
Energy Security Grade: A
The U.S. is the world leader in natural gas and oil production. Using that position keeps energy affordable, reliable and clean for American consumers, but it also strengthens our energy security and the security of our allies around the globe. The Trump Administration’s restart of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to our allies around the world shows a dedication to strengthening that security. According to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright: “Following President Trump’s reversal of the reckless Biden LNG export ban, the Department of Energy, in just 100 days, has approved record levels of future U.S. LNG, adding almost as much incremental capacity as the world’s second and third largest LNG nations are exporting today.” When our friends and allies get their energy from us rather than from dangerous nations like Russia and China, we are safer at home and the world is safer abroad.
ARC Energy Security: the path to long term energy success
Trump’s first 100 days of energy policies has been a win for everyday Americans. We are once again on the right energy path. Trump rightly understands that growing our energy supply and infrastructure is necessary for a safe and sustainable energy future, and that keeping energy costs low is the best way to fuel the economy AND lower costs for everyday Americans.
This administration has already shown a willingness to embrace smart initiatives like TEA’s “Build, baby, build,” which strives to eliminate overreaching roadblocks and focus on energizing existing and new technologies that meet the Affordable, Reliable and Clean (ARC) Energy Security standard, like nuclear power for electricity generation, new refineries to increase production of refined petroleum products, and new infrastructure such as pipelines, export terminals, and electric grid improvements.
But, now is not the time to rest on laurels and slow that momentum. Trump and his advisors should embrace TEA’s ARC Energy Security legislation as a guide to where to go next. A recent study by James Taylor of the Heartland Institute called affordable, reliable and clean energy, the “foundational tripod of sound energy policy.” And, that study found that natural gas was the clear winner in every category. The United States should embrace a true “all of the above” energy strategy to maximize our long-term success, but natural gas is the clear affordable, reliable and clean standard by which all other energy sources should be measured. ARC Energy Security is the clear next step to ensure that America stays on the right energy track for not only the next 100 days, but the next 100 years.