A New State of Mind for New York
June 6, 2025
NEED TO KNOW
- Check out TEA’s new website for the latest in energy news and opinion — sorting Common Sense from the Nonsense.
- TEA takes: Energy winners should be chosen by consumers, not the government.
- Trump officials visit Alaska to discuss a gas pipeline and oil drilling.
- OPEC+ members say they will fast-track oil output.
- As EVs stumble, hybrids are making a comeback.
- DOE axes clean energy grants worth nearly $4 billion.
- To prevent blackouts, Trump keeps an power plant online.
- California’s solar and wind curtailment jumped 29% in 2024.
- Schwarzenegger to environmentalists: Stop whining and “get to work.’
- Survey: Americans support for renewables declines from first Trump admin.
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‘Expressed interest’ in an Alaska LNG pipeline said to be over $115 billion.
COMMON SENSE
PIPELINE PROJECTS PROGRESSING: Trump officials are in Alaska pushing long-stalled gas and oil projects, while Interior Secretary Doug Burgum teams up with New York’s governor to revive two key natural gas pipelines.
Why it matters: This is evidence that “Build, Baby, Build” is taking place, as promised, in President Trump’s first 6 months in office. More pipelines mean more jobs, stable infrastructure, and more Americans receiving natural gas. This is what happens when you cut the red tape, reduce bureaucracy, and streamline the process, as TEA’s Common Sense Energy Agenda lays out.
Alaska’s “unique value” has newfound interest. For years, it has aimed to tap into North Slope natural gas, to reduce energy costs for residents and increase revenue through exports.
Consider: The latest proposal includes an 810-mile pipeline to move the fuel to a port for processing and export to Asia. Pipelines remain the safest and most efficient way to transport the most Affordable, Reliable, and Clean fuel.
- Meanwhile, the Interior is lifting a drilling ban, opening 13 million acres.
- These are big wins for Alaska’s economy and consumers, and as Burgum declared, “American energy independence has never been more critical.”
- Burgum noted Congress intended the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to bolster U.S. energy security through responsible development.
Meanwhile, Williams Companies’ advancement of both pipeline projects signals real progress in the Empire State.
New York had blocked the Constitution and Northeast Supply Enhancement pipelines over environmental concerns. The Trump administration is pushing more oil and gas projects, especially in the Northeast, where strict regulations have stalled development.
- The Northeast’s limited natural gas supply hinders the economy and risks the grid.
- New England pays 50% more for electricity than nearby Pennsylvania.
That’s why unleashing natural gas, the clean energy standard, is crucial here. Burgum and Trump understand the importance of boosting domestic energy from Alaska to New York.
Bottom line: Under President Biden, energy projects faced overregulation and endless legal fights—look at Keystone and MVP. Now the red tape is cut, and new pipelines are moving forward to connect high supply with high demand.
NONSENSE
RENEWABLE ENERGY DRIVING UP COSTS: With electricity bills set to rise for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware customers this month, clean energy advocates are demanding that the regional electric grid operator allow new renewable energy sources to connect to the grid faster.
Why it matters: Activists rallied at PJM Interconnection HQ in Audubon, Pa., blaming rate hikes on the grid operator’s slow adoption of green energy in favor of fossil fuels.
Irony alert: Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Consider: In response to the protest, PJM — operator of the grid across parts of 13 states — fired back, blaming climate activists for the delays.
“Those organizations who visited today have actively worked to push critical power resources off of the system, raising prices and threatening reliability, and now they are protesting the results of their actions,” said PJM spokesperson Jeff Shields in an emailed statement.
He added that it’s a case of blame-shifting by the environmental activists.
Bravo, PJM, for standing up to the extreme, green-at-any-cost crowd. The leading source of power generation in the regional grid is natural gas, followed by nuclear power, and then coal.
- Advocates love the false narrative that the grid needs to transition toward renewables because fossil fuels drive climate change.
- Increased natural gas use for electricity is the leading cause of U.S. power sector emissions cuts over the past 15 years.
- Since 2005, natural gas has cut 50 percent more emissions than wind and solar power combined.
Ohio’s House Bill 15 promotes new power plants, cuts coal and solar subsidies, and reshapes the state’s energy future. This is an example of ARC Energy Security in action and should be embraced along the East Coast.
Bottom line: Gas-fired power plants provide more than 40% of our nation’s electricity. They offer a reliable and dispatchable power source, unlike the expensive and unreliable renewables. Building more power plants can lead to lower energy bills.
BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL?
Let’s quickly get you up to speed: President Trump and Elon Musk have officially had a falling out, stemming from the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill.” On Thursday, Elon made his opposition to the bill public, arguing that it adds to the deficit and will “bankrupt America.” In response, President Trump asserted that Elon is upset because the bill cuts IRA subsidies that benefit Tesla.
While intriguing, this public feud hasn’t had any tangible impact on the legislation, at least thus far. Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee released their section of the bill, and not much has changed from the House version. The Senate Finance Committee will determine the fate of the IRA clean energy tax credits, and their version is expected to be released next week.
TEA’s stance on the Big Beautiful Bill remains firm: though flawed, it guts most of the IRA’s $1.2T subsidies, a major win for affordable, reliable energy. Failure to pass means keeping the IRA intact—disastrous for America. TEA’s ARC Energy Security Act, with natural gas as the clean standard, ensures energy independence and affordability. Together, they’ll spark millions of jobs, drive prosperity, and dig us out of crippling national debt for generations.
A LOOK AHEAD
Hearing On Energy Budget: On Tuesday, June 10, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy will have a hearing on the fiscal year 2026 Department of the Energy budget.
Hearing On Interior Budget: On Wednesday, June 11, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will have a hearing on the fiscal year 2026 Department of the Interior budget.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Energy security is national security. With hundreds of millions of people around the world in need of a secure supply of oil and gas, U.S. natural gas production creates a path to prosperity and a path towards peace in the world — starting right here at the Trans-Alaska LNG pipeline.”