A plan for American energy dominance

OPINION:

With global tensions on the rise and energy prices increasing across the country, the new administration has made one thing quite clear: American energy dominance is no longer a goal – it’s a necessity. As chairman of the Energy Subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I’m committed to advancing an all-of-the-above energy approach that strengthens our economy, protects our national security, and puts American workers first. We must come together not only to reverse the damage caused by the Biden administration’s misguided policies, but also to build a resilient, proactive energy future that prioritizes innovation, affordability, and reliability.

I firmly believe that we need to produce more energy in this country, not less. At a recent Energy Subcommittee hearing, I asked the Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO) and Independent System Operators (ISO) if America needs more or less energy to meet demand. Every witness said America needs to produce more energy to meet the growing demand. At the same time, they all agreed that we can’t be taking current generation offline. More energy is needed for consumers, small and large manufacturers, agriculture, and medical facilities.

What is the largest contributing factor for our growing energy needs? AI data centers. The RTO PJM has stated that “demand for electricity is growing at the fastest pace in years, primarily from the proliferation of data centers, electrification of buildings and vehicles, and manufacturing.” PJM goes on to state that capacity shortage could affect their system in the 2026-2027 delivery year. When it comes to AI, this is a race that the United States can’t lose to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP isn’t waiting to construct more energy plants. It has issued permits for fifty more coal generation facilities, which is an average of two every week. Its goal is to produce more than 94.5 gigawatts of power.

The Department of Energy reported that data centers’ load growth tripled over the past decade, and will likely double to triple in the next three years. To show what this means, data centers consumed 4.4% of all electricity in 2023, and could consume up to 12% of electricity in 2028. Again, in our hearings, witnesses testified that U.S. forecasts for additional power will be 92 to 128 gigawatts in the next ten years.

I truly believe in the all-of-the-above energy strategy. It means that the federal government doesn’t pick winners and losers. We must use what we have-from our traditional sources to our renewables. In the last Congress, I introduced the Nuclear REFUEL Act, REFINER Act, and the Secure Grid Act, bills that will help rebuild our energy independence. Nuclear energy will help to contribute to our energy needs through traditional and small modular reactors. We must not forget that in the not-too-distant past, we were told the United States didn’t have enough natural gas. However, American know-how has made the United States the largest producer of natural gas that serves not only our interests but also in exporting LNG across the globe.

As we talk of all our energy production needs, it is just as important to focus on transmission and distribution improvements. Our grid needs modernizing for the massive increases in energy demand. We have to have secure supply chains to meet the future and focus on grid cyber security protections. One other major piece of legislation that Congress must pass is permitting. Projects can’t be in limbo for years. We need to get this done and fast. From bringing the energy up, to generation, to transmission, and to distribution, permitting will be essential for energy growth.

I know how important affordable energy is to our nation. My district, Ohio’s 5th congressional district, is home to over 86,000 manufacturing jobs and has the largest farm income producing district in the state. We rely on energy in every aspect of lives. That’s why in the 119th Congress, I look forward to introducing legislation that prioritizes innovation, affordability, and reliability in our energy sector.

In the coming years, it’s critical we produce the power needed to meet the growing demands of the electric grid, especially as data centers are constructed to support America’s leadership in the advancement of AI technology. The United States must be as much energy independent as possible, so as a country we can thrive and grow together-being less reliant for our everyday energy needs other countries. Energy security is national security.

• Rep. Bob Latta is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He is chair of the Energy Subcommittee and is a member of the Communications and Technology as well as the Environment Subcommittee. He is also a member of the House Energy Action Team and the Conservative Climate Caucus.