You could say we were being gaslit, but no one could afford the gas.
Before President Trump, Americans were told that high energy prices were inevitable or controlled by Vladimir Putin. We were fed the lie while then-President Joe Biden begged for foreign oil as the unavoidable cost of the “energy transition.”
Then something remarkable happened. We changed presidents.
In his State of the Union address, President Trump laid out what has unfolded in just one year: energy prices falling, production surging, exports expanding, regulatory barriers dismantled, and American leverage restored.
Energy dominance didn’t require a technological breakthrough. It required leadership.
This week, U.S. oil output approached nearly 14 million barrels per day, the highest level in our history. The president noted that oil production has increased by more than 600,000 barrels per day since he returned to office. But wait, there’s more: natural gas production has reached an all-time high.
That matters not just for oil and natural gas producers in Texas, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania — it matters for every American who pays a utility bill, heats their home, or buys groceries transported by truck.
Gasoline prices, which had spiked above $6 per gallon in some states under the Biden administration, have fallen sharply. In many states, prices are now below $2.30 per gallon, with some markets even dipping below $2. That is not an accident. It’s supply meeting demand.
Energy is foundational. When it becomes affordable, everything else becomes more affordable. But production alone does not equal dominance. That’s why President Trump moved quickly to restore America’s role as a global energy superpower.
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He repealed the Biden-era natural gas export halt. The result: approval of a $750 billion export deal that strengthens U.S. allies while weakening hostile regimes. When Europe, Asia, and developing economies buy American natural gas, they buy stability. They buy reliability. They buy freedom from coercive energy suppliers like Russia. The idea is simple: energy security leads to national security.
That same logic applies to critical minerals. For years, the United States ceded control of essential mineral supply chains to Communist China. The minerals necessary for defense systems, advanced electronics, grid infrastructure, and modern manufacturing. For rare-earth minerals, China was responsible for anywhere from 70 to 80 percent of America’s needs. That’s not dominance, that’s dependence.
That’s why President Trump announced the creation of a Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve. America has a strategic oil reserve. We need one for critical minerals, too. For years, the eco-Left was fine with importing dependence from our adversaries while protesting any project here at home. Thankfully, energy policy is no longer being written to satisfy activist pressure groups. It is being written to power the country.
Even as artificial intelligence and large data centers increase electricity demand, the administration has protected ratepayers. Rather than allowing massive tech companies to shift new costs onto households, the president announced a ratepayer protection pledge requiring major tech firms to build their own power generation capacity. No word yet on how much of the new power demands are being carried by wind and solar
Consumers have more freedom than they did a year ago. Electric vehicle mandates that imposed rigid vehicle standards and narrowed consumer choice are in the dustbin where they belong. Americans can once again choose the vehicles that fit their needs without federal coercion reshaping the marketplace.
These are the consequences of coherent energy policy: increased supply, expanded exports, secure minerals, less regulatory drag, consumer protection, and stronger allies.
For years, Americans were told scarcity was responsible, higher prices were inevitable, and that domestic energy production had to be restrained. They were sold a lie that fossil fuels were a liability.
But scarcity was not inevitable. It was a choice. Abundance is a choice, too.
In just one year, the United States has strengthened its strategic leverage abroad, reduced consumer costs at home, and rebalanced regulatory policy toward growth instead of constraint. Energy dominance didn’t require a revolution in technology. It didn’t need trillions in subsidies. It didn’t necessitate punishing consumers.
To achieve American energy dominance, all we needed was a new president.
Larry Behrens is an energy expert and the Communications Director for Power The Future. He is also the author of the new book “Power Restored: President Trump’s First Year and the Revival of American Energy Leadership.” You can follow him on X/Twitter @larrybehrens.
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