From the First Step Act that gave second chances to thousands of incarcerated Americans to Opportunity Zones that brought billions in investment to neglected neighborhoods, I had the privilege of working on transformative policies that delivered real results for underserved communities during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Now, in Trump’s second term, there’s another critical reform that could be equally transformative for these same communities: overhauling the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to unleash reliable, affordable energy for working families.
The data is undeniable: Lack of access to affordable energy disproportionately harms the underserved. According to a comprehensive study by the Progressive Policy Institute, “on average, low-earning black and latino families are forced to spend higher shares of their smaller incomes on energy compared to wealthier and better-connected neighborhoods around them.” These families are often forced to choose between keeping the lights on and putting food on the table. This cruel reality reflects decades of underinvestment in energy infrastructure serving their communities.
Now, we face a perfect storm that threatens to make this crisis worse. Americans are consuming more and more electricity than ever before, but pipeline and generation infrastructure have not kept pace. The result is skyrocketing electricity prices, greater volatility, and real blackout risk for American homes and businesses.
Democrats are already positioning themselves to win back these voters, falsely blaming Trump for rising energy prices while defending the very regulatory obstacles that drive up costs. In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, potential 2028 presidential candidate Rahm Emanuel laid out the template for shifting the blame onto Trump.
That narrative is backward. High bills are the result of outdated regulatory choke points, excessive permitting delays, underinvestment in infrastructure, and a grid unequipped to handle modern demand surges. Environmental groups have weaponized the permitting process to block critical infrastructure projects. That is why blue areas like New England are cut off from domestic natural gas supplies and forced to rely on foreign sources.
The way to neutralize these false attacks is to deliver lower costs through real reforms. FERC is unknown to most Americans, but this agency has critical oversight over approving energy infrastructure. Trump’s FERC nominees, Laura Swett and David LaCerte, set to be confirmed by the Senate soon, can revolutionize the agency and lower prices across the country. FERC cannot miss this chance to adopt comprehensive reforms that accelerate pipeline approvals and streamline the development of critical energy infrastructure.
A recent white paper from former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ALFA Institute laid out how to get this done by drastically increasing the cost caps and scope of projects that qualify for expedited permitting. These relatively simple changes to remove red tape from projects that don’t need it would unleash billions in private investment, generate thousands of good-paying jobs, and lower power bills nationwide.
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Trump’s historic 2024 victory was built on a multiracial working-class coalition that transcended traditional party lines. Exit polls show that young black and Latino men moved toward Trump because of concerns about jobs and the cost of living. These voters want results: more jobs, lower costs, and the conviction that someone in Washington would finally value their interests. It’s time to end the gridlock at FERC that is strangling what they have long been demanding: affordable, reliable energy.
Just as criminal justice reform and Opportunity Zones unite unconventional coalitions around shared values, we can do the same to deliver good-paying jobs and lower costs to communities left behind by elite environmental policies. We can and must act decisively to reform FERC and enact real energy justice for the communities that believe in the president’s vision.
Ja’Ron Smith is a former deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the Office of American Innovation during the first Trump administration.
