Thune: Energy Security is National Security
“If Democrats acknowledge that we are rapidly approaching an energy crisis, they might have to actually consider the consequences of their energy plans.”
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):
“Mr. President, this afternoon we’re going to vote on a resolution to end the energy emergency that President Trump declared upon taking office.
“Apparently, according to the resolution’s authors, this energy emergency declaration isn’t justified.
“And, Mr. President, in response to that, I’d like to just read a headline from the Washington Post last March.
“And that headline is, and I quote: ‘Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power’
“Now, let me just repeat that, Mr. President, for my Democrat colleagues.
“‘Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power’
“Running out of power…
“The article stated, and I quote again, ‘Vast swaths of the United States are at risk of running short of power as electricity-hungry data centers and clean-technology factories proliferate around the country, leaving utilities and regulators grasping for credible plans to expand the nation’s creaking power grid.’
“And then of course there was this headline from another major news outlet in December, and I quote again: ‘More than half the US faces blackout risks in next decade, NERC finds’
“Again, ‘More than half the US faces blackout risks in next decade…’
“‘Large swaths of the U.S.,’ the article noted, ‘could experience rolling blackouts due to capacity shortfalls during extreme weather events in the next decade, according to a grid reliability analysis released Tuesday. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator faces the highest risk of energy shortfalls starting as soon as this summer, according to the report from the North American Electric Reliability Corp., which can force grid operators to trigger rolling outages to prevent wider system harm.’
“Mr. President, these aren’t niche publications.
“These are mainstream media outlets.
“Mainstream media outlets reporting on the fact that, and I quote again, ‘America is running out of power.’
“If my Democrat colleagues don’t consider that an emergency, I just don’t know what to say.
“Mr. President, as these articles – and others – make clear, the United States’ electric grid is extremely shaky.
“Thanks in substantial part to a movement to shut down fossil-fuel-fired power plants before reliable sources of clean energy are available to replace them, America is running out of power even as we face huge new power demands.
“The boom in data center construction – in particular to power the rise of artificial intelligence – is placing, and will place, vast new demands upon the grid.
“A recent CNBC headline noted, and again I quote, ‘Data centers powering artificial intelligence could use more electricity than entire cities’
“‘… more electricity than entire cities’
“And, Mr. President, if we continue on our current course, there is a very real risk that we are not going to be able to meet that demand.
“That we are going to end up with widespread brownouts and blackouts, or electricity rationing, or de facto rationing forced by sky-high energy bills.
“Now, Mr. President, I realize that this is an inconvenient truth to my Democrat colleagues.
“Why?
“Because it interferes with their plans to force the United States off conventional energy.
“If Democrats acknowledge that we are rapidly approaching an energy crisis, they might have to actually consider the consequences of their energy plans.
“To consider what might happen when you put immense new power demands on an already shaky grid by forcing Americans into electric vehicles.
“To consider what might happen if you drastically limit domestic oil and gas production, even as the nation continues to require a steady and affordable supply of conventional fuels.
“And so I do understand why Democrats would prefer not to acknowledge our national energy emergency.
“But acknowledge it or not, it’s there.
“And if we don’t take action, we’re going to be facing some very serious problems in the very near future.
“So I’m grateful to have a president who recognizes and acknowledges the energy emergency facing our nation.
“And I look forward to working with him to unleash American energy production and achieve a secure, affordable, and reliable energy future for the American people.”
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