Opinion Pieces

Originally appeared in the Washington Times.
By: Representative Rick W. Allen (GA-12)

Over the last four years, while the previous administration pursued a war on domestic energy production, House Republicans consistently made the case for unleashing America’s abundant energy capabilities, as we did during the first Trump administration. We’ve now seen the outcomes from these vastly differing approaches. Under President Joe Biden’s anti-energy policies, Americans saw record high gas prices, inflation over 20%, unaffordable utility bills, and the start of a brutal, energy-related conflict between Ukraine and Russia which has resulted in needless bloodshed. By contrast, during President Donald Trump’s first term we unleashed the power of American energy, and the United States didn’t just become energy independent we became energy dominant. Gas prices were low, inflation was less than 2%, the U.S. economy was booming, and America was respected on the world stage.

With President Trump back in the White House, we now have the opportunity and appropriate leadership in place to reclaim American energy dominance, and in turn, to strengthen our national security. This administration has already taken important steps to do so through executive action. Since his inauguration, President Trump has declared a National Energy Emergency to unlock America’s full energy potential and bring down costs for American families. He’s established the National Energy Dominance Council to maximize use of America’s abundant energy resources. He’s rescinded every one of the Biden Administration’s anti-American energy regulations. He’s ended the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) pause, approved the first LNG project since the ban took effect, and much more.

Now, House and Senate Republicans must band together to ensure these energy policies are codified, making our pro-domestic energy agenda the law of the land. As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I look forward to carefully crafting energy policy this Congress that benefits hardworking families, puts America first, and secures U.S. leadership.

We know that an all-of-the-above strategy is the only way to achieve these goals, and expanding our nuclear footprint, the nation’s largest source of clean energy, will be instrumental. In Georgia’s 12th district, we are paving the way with the first two new nuclear reactors built in the United States in three decades at Plant Vogtle. Plant Vogtle is the only four-unit nuclear facility in the United States, and with Nuclear Units 3 and 4 now fully operational, this facility is providing a stable, baseload supply of electricity to millions of Georgia homes and businesses. The reliability that nuclear offers is crucial for maintaining grid stability and ensuring an uninterrupted power supply, but we cannot stop here.

Last Congress, I introduced the Nuclear Licensing Efficiency Act, which will help improve the licensing review process for future nuclear projects by streamlining procedures and timelines for reviewing nuclear licensing applications. If we hope to build upon the monumental successes at Plant Vogtle, we must also learn from our past experiences, incorporate best practices, and recognize that there is room for improvement. This is where the Nuclear Licensing Efficiency Act will pay dividends helping ensure future projects, large and small, are completed in a timely manner and as efficiently as possible. I am proud that this legislation was included in the bipartisan Atomic Energy Advancement Act, which was signed into law on July 9, 2024.

President Trump has made his vision clear: unleash American energy. Gone are the days of outsourcing our energy needs. We must seize the opportunity ahead of us to codify energy policy that incorporates the full breadth of our productive capacity. We cannot do so without embracing the reliability of nuclear energy.

Rep. Rick W. Allen serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and represents Georgia’s 12th congressional district home to Plant Vogtle, the largest nuclear power station in the United States.