The Electricity Crisis: Politicians Created It, the White House Can Solve It
This week, Power The Future (PTF) released a report urging President Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) to restart shuttered coal, natural gas, and nuclear plants. The appeal coincides with our new report, The Looming American Electricity Affordability Crisis, which details how decades of politically driven “green agenda” policies have triggered soaring energy costs and weakened America’s grid.
“Politicians who forced the green agenda on us now conveniently want to make rising electric costs a political talking point—but let’s be clear, they caused this mess,” said Daniel Turner, Founder and Executive Director of Power The Future. “Instead of blaming others, the supporters of the green agenda should own up to decades of bad policies that drove reliable plants offline, made our grid weaker, and left families with skyrocketing bills. The solutions are right in front of us—it’s time to stop pretending windmills and solar panels can get the job done.”
Under the Biden administration, electricity costs increased by nearly 30 percent as reliable coal plants were shut down and billions were funneled into wind and solar energy. These intermittent sources cannot provide the steady, affordable power Americans rely on.
The report lays out four urgent steps to restore energy affordability and reliability:
- Utilize the Defense Production Act – Prioritize critical grid equipment, restart mothballed fossil plants, and fast-track upgrades to protect affordability and reliability.
- Halt Premature Closures – Keep existing fossil fuel and nuclear plants online until firm replacement capacity is fully operational.
- Expand Existing Coal Capacity – Upgrade and maximize current coal plants to quickly add thousands of megawatts back to the grid without waiting years for new construction.
- Build New Fossil Fuel Plants – Construct modern, high-efficiency natural gas and coal plants to deliver decades of affordable, dependable baseload power.
The message is clear: America cannot sustain its economy or protect its families with unreliable energy. Bringing coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy back to the forefront of our grid is essential to lowering costs, strengthening competitiveness, and keeping the lights on.
August 22, 2025