What Is “Energy Dominance”? And How Does America Get It?

President Donald Trump has reordered U.S. energy policy in pursuit of “energy dominance.” In doing so, he has established a new National Energy Dominance Council in the White House, issued an extensive series of executive orders addressing almost all forms of energy as well as the U.S. electricity grid, and declared an energy emergency—a move in stark contrast to the Biden administration’s framing of a climate crisis. At the same time, U.S. electricity demand is increasing at a pace unprecedented in recent American history, driven in no small part by extensive data center construction to support artificial intelligence and other online data requirements.
 
The National Interest’s Energy World section recently organized a special online symposium on energy dominance, featuring 14 articles by leading experts. TNI’s editors asked them two questions: “what should ‘energy dominance’ mean, and how best can America achieve it?”
 
On August 13, The National Interest hosted four of the contributing authors to discuss their varied perspectives.
 
—Luke Bolar leads external affairs and communications at ClearPath, following a long career on Capitol Hill and in public affairs, including most recently as a senior vice president in the energy and environment practice at Edelman.
 
—Diana Furchtgott-Roth directs the Center for Energy, Climate, and the Environment at The Heritage Foundation and is an adjunct professor of economics at George Washington University. Earlier in her career, she served as acting assistant secretary for economic policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
 
—Kendra Hughes is associate director for Clean Energy and Conservation at American Progress. She has also worked on environmental policy at Clean Air Task Force and the Environmental Defense Fund.
 
—Dr. Brian Murray directs Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability. He is also a research professor at the Nicholas School of the Environment and a faculty associate of the Duke Initiative for Science and Society.

Paul Saunders, president of the Center for the National Interest, moderated the discussion.