Remove The Bottlenecks To Building
January 22, 2026
Need to know
- Check out TEA’s website for the latest in energy news and opinion.
- TEA Takes: Money to ‘decarbonize’ is more useless than gym memberships.
- Red-state Republicans seek climate ‘liability shield’ for the fossil fuel industry.
- Mitsubishi to acquire shale gas assets for $7.5 billion.
- Harold Hamm set to shut down oil drilling in North Dakota.
- Venezuela’s oil reset has finally begun.
- New York Gov. Hochul wants more nuclear power.
- The Western media’s relentless greenwashing of China’s coal addiction.
- Trump’s energy dominance rewrites the SPR after Biden drawdowns.
- NJ Gov. Sherrill orders credits to offset June electricity hikes.
- Congress green-lighted billions for EV chargers. Only 2% has been spent.
- Greek company to invest $50M in Alaska LNG.
- New natural gas plant coming to WV’s Northern Panhandle.
Common Sense
WE MUST ‘BUILD, BABY, BUILD’: It’s obvious that America has to start building again.
Why it matters: The country is ready. Bureaucracy and red tape stalled this process under the previous administration. But White House policies have changed drastically. This is a pro-domestic energy and pro-hydrocarbons brand of leadership.
A bedrock of TEA’s Common Sense Energy Agenda has been “Build, Baby, Build” and it is poised to take off over the next three years. The only thing that would improve upon this is federal legislation like ARC Energy Security to unleash American energy for the future.
Consider:
- Permitting delays block power plants, refineries, pipelines, export terminals, and grid upgrades — exactly the infrastructure we need as demand surges.
- When infrastructure lags, supply tightens and prices rise.
- Building faster moves energy to consumers and keeps costs affordable.
Ohio sits atop the Utica and Marcellus — the nation’s largest natural gas formation — with Pennsylvania close behind. Both would benefit immediately from federal permitting reform, along with Michigan and others in the Midwest.
This isn’t just an energy issue. It’s an AI issue.
Big Tech is racing to secure power. For example:
- Alphabet bought a power company for $4.75 billion last month.
- Meta locked in 6.6 gigawatts of nuclear energy two weeks ago.
- Data centers are driving a historic shift from buying electricity to owning generation.
A Forbes article details how natural gas, copper and turbines make up the AI Trifecta of Infrastructure Investment. It signals a strategic pivot. They want power and they wanted it yesterday.
The bottleneck is no longer technology — it’s infrastructure. Natural gas, nuclear and coal are essential for reliable AI baseload power.
The bottleneck is no longer technology — it’s infrastructure. Natural gas, nuclear and coal are essential for reliable AI baseload power.
Pipeline construction is now at an 18-year high, with a dozen major gas projects coming online this year across Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
Bottom line: Streamlined permitting and smart energy development will lower costs, strengthen security and power everything from family homes to mega data centers.
Bottom line: Streamlined permitting and smart energy development will lower costs, strengthen security and power everything from family homes to mega data centers.
Nonsense
A LOT OF HOT AIR: Despite headlines about court wins for offshore wind, the industry is already on borrowed time.
Activist judges may have allowed a few projects in New York, Rhode Island and Virginia to resume, but the bigger picture hasn’t changed. Federal policy has shifted, investor risk has exploded and subsidies are disappearing like an Oldsmobile Cutlass.
Why it matters: Even if some turbines get built, offshore wind has likely already lost. Multibillion-dollar projects were shaky to begin with.
Why it matters: Even if some turbines get built, offshore wind has likely already lost. Multibillion-dollar projects were shaky to begin with.
Now add regulatory uncertainty, ongoing court fights, national security concerns cited by the administration, and a faster phaseout of federal tax credits under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
Consider:
- Investors are backing away from renewables.
- The federal government could still win these key court battles.
- Tax credits are expiring, and projects must break ground more expediently to qualify.
- Without massive subsidies, offshore wind is simply too expensive — a warning echoed by The Cato Institute last year.
Lacking mandates and federal handouts, offshore wind doesn’t pencil out. High costs mean higher electric bills and less reliable power for everyone.
Bottom line: The offshore wind industry may win a few court battles, but it’s losing the war. Why? It is neither affordable nor reliable for consumers.
Fuel for thought
A look ahead
Hearing On Federal Permitting: On Wednesday, January 28, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will have a hearing to examine improving the Federal environmental review and permitting process.
Quote of the week
“President Trump will continue to aggressively implement his energy dominance agenda to lower energy bills, improve our grid stability and protect our national security.”
— White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers