Power The Future’s Naughty and Nice List 2025
This holiday season, Power The Future is taking a moment to recognize those who have helped — and those who have hurt — the American energy sector. This year’s Naughty and Nice List boils down to one simple question: Did your actions lower energy costs, protect jobs, and strengthen American energy security — or did they make life harder for working families?
The answers couldn’t be clearer.
The Nice List
American Energy Workers
At the top of our Nice List are the men and women who power this country every day. From oil fields and coal mines to power plants and pipelines, American energy workers show up in all conditions to keep the lights on, homes warm, and businesses running. While politicians argue, these workers deliver.
The Trump Administration
Under President Trump, America restored its status as an energy leader. The administration reduced regulations, boosted domestic production, and focused on affordability and reliability rather than extreme climate policies. The outcome was straightforward: lower energy costs, stronger energy security, and more jobs for American workers.
Rep. August Pfluger (TX)
Representative August Pfluger has earned his spot on Power The Future’s Nice List as one of Congress’s top advocates for American energy workers. As Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, he led the successful effort to repeal the Biden administration’s natural gas tax before it could fully take effect. His leadership protected working families from higher energy costs, defended domestic producers, and reinforced America’s energy independence.
Governor Mike Dunleavy (AK)
Governor Dunleavy has remained steadfast against efforts to restrict Alaska’s extensive energy resources. His leadership understands that responsible development boosts Alaska’s economy, creates good-paying jobs, and supplies energy for the entire nation.
Senator Dave McCormick (PA)
Senator Dave McCormick earns a spot on the Nice List for leading the national conversation on how American energy fuels innovation and economic growth. By hosting the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University with President Trump, Sen. McCormick made it clear: there is no AI revolution without reliable energy — and Pennsylvania is ready to lead.
The Naughty List
Affordability Hypocrites
Nothing earns a spot on Power The Future’s Naughty List faster than politicians who claim to care about affordability while supporting the Green New Deal. You can’t talk about “helping families” when the policies you back would cost American families over $70,000 in the first year.
Take Senator Martin Heinrich as a prime example. He routinely complains about rising costs yet enthusiastically supports Green New Deal-style mandates designed to eliminate affordable energy and force consumers into expensive electric vehicles. Others include Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey, the primary authors of the Green New Deal.
Governor Gavin Newsom (CA)
Governor Gavin Newsom lands on the Naughty List for prioritizing global climate theatrics over Californians’ real energy needs. While families face some of the highest gas and electricity prices nationwide — along with blackout warnings and a fragile grid — Newsom traveled to a luxury climate conference in Brazil to lecture America and praise China. Californians can’t power their lives on speeches, and Newsom’s record shows it.
Stacey Abrams
Stacey Abrams lands on the Naughty List after the collapse of the New Georgia Project, the scandal-ridden nonprofit she founded, following months of scrutiny from Congress and Power The Future. During the Biden administration, environmental groups linked to Abrams received about $2 billion in taxpayer funding, raising serious concerns about transparency and political self-dealing. As Power The Future Founder Daniel Turner said, it was a “green grift, pure and simple.”
Biden’s Autopen
Biden’s Autopen lands on the Naughty List after serious questions arose about who was really steering U.S. energy policy. Power The Future pointed out multiple sweeping executive actions — including drilling bans, net-zero mandates, ESG-style financial rules, and emergency green energy powers — that President Biden himself never publicly addressed. Americans have the right to know who made these decisions and why energy workers had to bear the consequences.
Senator Bernie Sanders (VT)
Senator Bernie Sanders completes the Naughty List for peak climate hypocrisy. While traveling across the country to “fight oligarchy,” Sanders opted for private jets over readily available commercial flights, emitting more than 60 tons of CO₂ — about 45 times more per leg than flying commercial. According to Power The Future’s analysis, offsetting that pollution would require nearly 2,900 trees for a full year. Climate lectures ring hollow when delivered from a luxury jet.
The Bottom Line
Energy policy isn’t abstract. It appears on monthly bills, at the gas pump, and in paychecks. Power The Future’s Naughty and Nice List highlights who understands that fact — and who doesn’t. American families deserve leaders who prioritize energy abundance, affordability, and reliability over ideology. We’ll keep calling out the bad actors and celebrating the champions — not just during the holidays, but all year long.
December 17, 2025