‘Fueling the future requires an all-of-the-above energy approach’

OPINION:

In Washington, you often hear that policy change can’t happen in a divided government. But on energy, House Republicans continue to prove this wrong.

Keeping our Commitment to America, we passed H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, with bipartisan support and enacted the first permitting reform in 40 years as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA). These provisions are a vital step forward for permitting. They will fast-track the process, cut costs for American families and businesses, and grow our economy to help us better compete with China. When implemented, the FRA’s NEPA reforms will provide a level playing field to all forms of energy and are critical to reducing global emissions.

We know the world is cleaner and safer when we produce more energy under American standards whether it’s American natural gas, emissions-free nuclear power, or renewable energy. With global energy demand projected to grow through 2050, who provides this energy matters.

Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas allowed Russia to weaponize the energy market after its brutal invasion of Ukraine. But when the Free World chose to boycott Russian energy, the United States was able to step up and help to fill the supply gap.

In America, we understand that when it comes to energy, you should never rely on dictators and regimes who don’t share your values. Through American ingenuity and innovation like hydraulic fracturing, we achieved not just energy independence, but energy dominance. Today, we are proud to be a world leader in natural gas production.

Compared to other sources, American natural gas is a cleaner, safer, and more affordable choice. It has allowed us to reduce our CO2 emissions while becoming the world’s leader in exporting natural gas. In fact, America has reduced emissions more than the next six emissions-reducing countries combined, and we’re responsible for 66% of all emissions reductions of OECD members since 2005.

Environmental extremists suggest that the only way to reduce global emissions is to establish burdensome regulations and hamstring our economy with higher taxes. Yet the facts tell another story. If Europe simply replaced all of the natural gas it imported from Russia with American natural gas for one year, CO2 emissions would be reduced by 218 million tons.

The false choice that surrounds global energy policy also has a harsh side effect: it leaves developing countries and the poorest communities in the dark without access to affordable or reliable energy to grow their economies. Instead, they are told to abandon fossil fuels and invest in more expensive renewable energy, or be cast aside.

Not even nuclear power the only emissions-free baseload energy source meets the standard set by the world’s elite. It has been over 60 years since the World Bank financed a nuclear energy project.

If this climate colonialism persists, billions of people will lose out on the chance to succeed. That is not only morally wrong, but deeply misinformed. Instead of issuing impossible ultimatums, we should be providing them with clean, affordable energy to grow.

House Republicans know that fueling the future requires an all-of-the-above energy approach. Reliable, affordable energy is not a luxury. It is the foundation of modern life. With permitting reform, we’ve taken an essential first step toward investing in cleaner American natural gas, emissions-free nuclear power, and renewable energy based on regional resources. The work is only beginning, and with House Republicans at the helm, I know that we will deliver solutions for a better, safer tomorrow.

• Kevin McCarthy, representing California’s 20th District, serves as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.