Op-Ed: Kevin Byrne and Andre Cushing: How President Trump's energy dominance will power states' success

New York’s radical climate policies are driving up costs, short-circuiting our energy supply, and sticking taxpayers with the bill. While progressive lawmakers in Albany push unaffordable mandates and dream of government-run utilities, President Donald Trump is doing what leaders should — putting American energy and working families first.

We remember what energy dominance looked like. During his first term, President Trump made the United States a net exporter of energy for the first time in more than 60 years. He cut red tape, promoted domestic production, and unleashed the full strength of America’s abundant natural resources — creating jobs, lowering costs, and establishing a truly America First foreign policy.

Now, in his second term, he’s returned to form, and our country is benefiting again. President Trump recently announced a blockbuster trade deal with the European Union that includes $750 billion in U.S. energy exports and $600 billion in new investment here at home. Under EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, a proud New Yorker who knows firsthand the damage Albany’s policies have caused, the Trump administration is rolling back the burdensome rules that once strangled American energy.

This is a sharp, and welcome, contrast to what’s happening in places like New York.

Thanks to the state’s so-called “Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act” (CLCPA) of 2019, local governments are drowning in unfunded mandates, including a radical plan to ban gas-powered stoves and other appliances, while ratepayers face higher bills and fewer energy options. In 2021, New York shut down Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, one of the Empire State’s most reliable sources of baseload power, with no plan B. The result? Grid instability and higher prices for electricity as modern technology continues to drive demand higher.

As county officials, we see the consequences of these policies up close. Local governments aren’t immune to rising energy costs: we pay utility bills, too. When those bills go up, that money doesn’t fall from the sky. It gets passed on to taxpayers, limiting our ability to maintain roads, support law enforcement, or to provide tax relief.

Now some lawmakers want to double down by pushing a complete public takeover of the utility system. It’s a reckless idea that would add even more bureaucracy, cost, and risk. Government can’t even run the MTA efficiently: why would we trust it to competently run the entire energy grid without creating California-style blackouts?

There’s a better way. The American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Energy Affordability Report, now in its fourth edition, shows how smart policy drives affordable energy. New York ranks near the bottom nationally, 43th in electricity affordability, while pro-energy states like Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming consistently rank among the best. As the report makes clear: “The more a state relies on free-market principles and avoids politically driven mandates, the more affordable energy becomes for its residents.”

We don’t need more radical environmentalism limiting consumer choice and raising the costs of doing business. We need reliable power, realistic policies, and common-sense leadership that understands energy is not a luxury: it’s a necessity. It's up to state policy to keep the Trump energy boom going.

That’s why we support President Trump’s pro-growth, all-of-the-above energy approach. Polls show a majority of Americans supports expanding our nuclear capacity, including cutting-edge baseload technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs). It’s time to stop penalizing domestic production and start making energy affordable again.

At the American City County Exchange (ACCE), a division of ALEC, we empower local leaders across the country to promote common-sense, pro-market solutions. We know what works, and we know what doesn’t.

Energy policy should not be an ideological experiment; it should be about outcomes. And right now, the contrast between Albany and Washington couldn’t be clearer.

So, thank you, President Trump. For standing up to the energy restrictionists, for putting America back on track, and for giving states hope that affordable, reliable energy is possible again.

Kevin Byrne is Putnam County Executive and Chair of the American City County Exchange (ACCE).

Andre Cushing is a Penobscot County Commissioner in Maine and Director of ACCE, a task force of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).