5 priorities crucial to success of Trump’s Energy Council

Following President Donald Trump declaring a national energy emergency on his first day in office, he recently followed through on another commitment by establishing the National Energy Dominance Council.

The council has the potential to create more than a “Golden Era” for American energy affordability, reliability and security. Its work is likely to contribute to unprecedented economic development opportunities for Americans while providing our diplomats and peacemakers with important assets to help solve geopolitical challenges that make the world safer.

On Jan. 20, President Trump started his second term at the dawn of a once-in-a-century electrification supercycle. The International Energy Agency recently said the world will need to build as much capacity in the next five years as the U.S. and Europe did in the last 136 years.

While much of the focus is properly centered on addressing the imperative of leadership for artificial intelligence and data centers, the demand drivers are much broader.

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PRO-ENERGY AGENDA WILL UNLEASH AMERICAN JOBS AND ENERGY SECURITY

Simply stated, America and the world need a lot more electricity. Who provides it will determine prosperity at home and abroad. And, importantly, who builds and innovates the technology for electricity will win the space race of our generation.

As the CEO of America’s leading electricity manufacturer, with 18,000 U.S. employees at 18 U.S. factories building gas turbines, nuclear power plants, critical grid equipment and software, and renewable equipment, I believe the Energy Council can win for the U.S. and globally. To do so, my strongest advice is for the Council to put U.S. manufacturing at its core and consider these five priorities:

Expand U.S. baseload energy: Immediate progress can be made by simply improving what we already have. For example, in North America technology upgrades can be added to just one class of our industrial gas turbines that will add 14 gigawatts to our system. Upgrading nuclear and restarting decommissioned sites can add 2GW. And my company is ready to upgrade 35,000 onshore wind turbines so they can produce more energy from where they stand today. 

The Energy Council can then go beyond the existing base to accelerate new baseload by deploying state-of-the-art gas and nuclear technology manufactured in U.S. factories with sound policy, permit streamlining and partnership with the private sector.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MUST INVEST IN INNOVATION TO REASSERT ENERGY DOMINANCE

Grow the grid: President Trump’s executive orders and his Cabinet have put more emphasis on the need to build the grid than we’ve ever seen. They are right to do so. Our grid is the unsung hero of our energy system and the “central nervous system” of our energy infrastructure. 

But even heroes have vulnerabilities – and our grid needs immediate help. The Council can secure our energy backbone by partnering with the private sector to modernize and build strategic reserves of critical grid equipment, growing factories and jobs along the way, and approaching the hardening of the grid with a security mindset.

Treat energy through a competitive lens: To truly achieve the president’s goals for “the next century,” energy innovation and competitiveness are key. Beyond our baseload needs, we are also building the world’s leading “all of the above” technologies in the United States, critical not only for getting as many affordable electrons on the grid as possible, but to maintain U.S. leadership in all energy technologies.

The focus of the council should go beyond what we can do today and include future breakthrough technologies such as small modular reactors and carbon capture systems. If we don’t lead the innovation in the U.S., others will, and the Energy Council is well positioned to enable U.S. leadership in the near term while innovating for the future.

TRUMP ENERGY PLAN WILL AVOID EUROPE’S ENERGY DISASTER

Build it in the U.S. President Trump is right to talk about unleashing U.S. energy. But it’s not just the electrons and molecules that matter. The true foundation to energy dominance is U.S. manufacturing and industrial capacity. We need to build on that legacy. 

After all, the first electrification revolution started with Thomas Edison innovating in upstate New York. Today, the technology we build in places like Greenville, South Carolina, Pensacola, Florida, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is among the most sophisticated equipment made anywhere. 

The Energy Council can unlock the next U.S. manufacturing renaissance with the right policies, including manufacturing and energy production tax credits, ensuring prosperity for American workers and competitive strength globally for America.

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Solve geopolitical challenges: President Trump has uniquely spoken about the opportunity for U.S. energy assets to solve conflicts and bring prosperity to the world. As a company whose equipment helps provide 25% of the world’s electricity in more than 100 countries, we see the opportunity every day for energy to be at the foundation of peace and prosperity. I recommend the council consider both energy and the equipment that generates electricity alongside each other as they advance this important mission.

President Trump’s Energy Council is the right opportunity in the right place at the right time to help ensure American leadership and geopolitical prosperity at the beginning of an electrification supercycle that can reshape economies. The opportunity for U.S. factories, workers and innovation to truly lead this effort brings me great optimism that we will win.

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