EXCLUSIVE: 24 House Republicans outline how the Department of Energy can prioritize more baseload energy
House Republicans, led by Reps. August Pfluger and Troy Balderson, have a series of ideas that they want the Department of Energy to implement.
Twenty-four members of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) want the Trump administration to prioritize more baseload energy sources to keep the lights on for American families.
Lawmakers wrote to Energy Secretary Chris Wright in a letter obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter, thanking Wright and President Donald Trump for their “thoughtful leadership on energy dominance and for your commitment to strengthening America’s grid to meet the emerging power demands of data centers and artificial intelligence (AI).” They specifically appreciate Trump’s Executive Order 14154, which “terminated harmful Biden-era policies, advanced meaningful improvements in the efficiency and certainty of permitting approvals, and supported critical baseload energy projects.”
But, they want the administration to do even more. “It is crucial for the United States to harness our abundant natural resources and increase our baseload energy capacity to unlock this once-in-a-generation opportunity,” the lawmakers, led by RSC Chairman August Pfluger (R., Texas) and Rep. Troy Balderson (R., Ohio), wrote; Balderson is also the chairman of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT).
The lawmakers’ letter comes as Republican lawmakers work with the administration to achieve the president’s goal of American energy dominance, and as Congress and the White House increasingly focus on affordability issues.
“Without sufficient energy to power our data centers and keep up with the rapid pace of technological innovation and development, our strategic adversaries, including China, may ultimately win the AI arms race. Failure is not an option, as our nation’s economic and national security are at stake,” lawmakers cautioned Wright.
Republican lawmakers have a desired solution: “We must increase the amount of new, reliable, baseload resources connected to the grid to adequately meet rising demand and offset planned retirements,” they wrote.
“As you consider funding allocations and other authorities to ensure the electric grid has the energy resources the nation needs to accommodate and enable this growth, we urge you to prioritize baseload energy generation sources,” the Republicans said. “Coal- and natural gas-fired power plants jointly accounted for 91 percent of planned retirements of power generation capacity in 2024. As grid operators and experts have warned, our nation cannot solely rely on weather-dependent, intermittent resources.”
“For these reasons, we respectfully urge the Department of Energy to exercise its authorities and programs to rapidly expand energy generation to reliably and affordably meet electricity demand growth across the country,” the lawmakers wrote. “Such action would align with the Trump Administration’s broader objectives of strengthening domestic supply chains and supporting American energy workers. We are committed to working with you, the Department of Energy, and President Trump to get out of the energy crisis caused by the Biden-Harris Administration’s deeply misguided policies and hostility towards domestic energy production. The golden age of technological innovation depends on a resilient grid and a reliable energy supply.”
Joining Reps. Balderson and Pfluger in signing the letter are Reps. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.), Rick Allen (R., Ga.), Andy Barr (R., Ky.), Nick Begich (R., Alaska), Josh Brecheen (R., Okla.), Andrew Clyde (R., Ga.), Jeff Crank (R., Colo.), Dan Crenshaw (R., Texas), Vince Fong (R., Calif.), Scott Franklin (R., Fla.), Craig Goldman (R., Texas), Morgan Griffith (R., Va.), Harriet Hageman (R., Wyo.), Pat Harrigan (R., N.C.), Jeff Hurd (R., Colo.), Bob Latta (R., Ohio), Laurel Lee (R., Fla.), Rich McCormick (R., Ga.), Dan Newhouse (R., Wash.), Gary Palmer (R., Ala.), John Rose (R., Tenn.), Pete Sessions (R., Texas), Randy Weber (R., Texas), and Roger Williams (R., Texas).