Washington Examiner economics columnist Tiana Lowe Doescher criticized U.S. energy policy on Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Texas, advocating for increased domestic oil and gas production as a way to strengthen national security.
“I’ve almost thought about the president’s foreign policy as this giant chess game. It is kind of 4D chess,” Doescher said.
On the second day of CPAC, Doescher and her panel argued that America’s path to lower costs and global influence runs through domestic energy production rather than climate-driven restrictions.
The panel included Mark Wallace, CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran; John Vonglis, executive director of Nano Nuclear Energy; and Karen Herbst, partner at Providence Energy.
“It’s back to drill, baby, drill,” Herbst said, contrasting four years under former President Joe Biden with the current administration’s more expansive energy approach. “It’s easier to get permits, not have to deal with the government.”
Doescher questioned how the domestic energy landscape will evolve — toward renewables or nuclear.
“It was a bit naive to think you could flip a switch and go from fossil fuels, to go totally green,” Vonglis said.
“The benefits far outweigh any kind of perceived detriment for nuclear,” Vonglis said, “and I fault the industry, and I fault the government for doing a poor job of demystifying everything around nuclear.”
He also emphasized the need for a reliable domestic energy supply available around the clock.
Doescher asked the panel, “How much should we see the present moment of energy as an opportunity, and what are the biggest obstacles that Trump faces, and how will he help make sure that bottom line of affordability, the American voters feel it?”
Wallace highlighted the lengthy process of discovering a mineral to being able to mine it.
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“We can no longer be dependent on China to ensure our national security on these critical minerals, and President Trump is changing that,” Wallace said.
In closing, Vonglis said, “Energy security equals national security. We take everything for granted from waking up to flipping your cup of coffee, to driving off, taking the railroad to work. So we have to ensure, I think, an assured domestic source of energy supply.”
