THE WASHINGTON UNION PAPERS: NO. 15

HOW AMERICA CAN ACHIEVE ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

To the People of the United States,

A country that begs for energy is a country that begs for survival. A nation that must kneel before foreign suppliers for power is not a sovereign nation—it is a client state, a vassal to those who control the flow of fuel, electricity, and industry. Energy is not merely a commodity; it is the foundation upon which national strength is built. It fuels the economy, secures industry, and ensures the very survival of a republic that dares to call itself sovereign. The history of great powers is the history of energy dominance. Rome rose on the might of its engineering, Britain ruled on the power of coal, and the United States ascended through the era of oil and industrial innovation. But a nation that allows itself to become dependent on foreign energy, that submits to the whims of foreign suppliers, that permits its own resources to remain untapped, is not a free nation—it is a nation vulnerable to manipulation, to economic coercion, to strategic defeat.

America once knew this truth. It did not simply stumble upon energy abundance—it forged it. The industrial revolution that catapulted the nation into global preeminence was not powered by foreign energy, nor was it dictated by the whims of external suppliers. It was carved out of the earth by American hands, refined in American factories, and put to work in American industries. The oil fields of Texas did not merely supply fuel; they built an empire of mobility, of commerce, of innovation that changed the face of the modern world. The coal mines of Appalachia did not simply provide heat and power; they fired the great furnaces of industry, the mills that produced the steel that constructed the skyline of American ambition. The hydroelectric dams of the West were not just marvels of engineering; they were declarations of national strength, of self-reliance, of a people unyielding in their determination to command their own destiny.

The 20th century was defined by American energy dominance. It was an era where industry was not a liability but an asset, where energy was not a burden but an advantage, where the nation did not ask for power but generated it in excess. It was an era of steel and steam, of roaring turbines and boundless production, an era where energy was not merely consumed—it was harnessed, directed, weaponized in the battle for economic supremacy. Cheap, reliable, and above all, American energy allowed this country to expand its infrastructure at an unprecedented rate, to send automobiles onto every road, to power factories that produced goods the world had never seen. The economy grew because energy was abundant, and that abundance was secured by American policies that placed sovereignty over dependency, strength over surrender.

But we abandoned that strength. We did not lose it by force, nor was it taken from us in some catastrophic collapse. We gave it away. We permitted foreign oil to dictate our economic stability, knowing full well the danger that entailed. We watched as OPEC wielded energy as a weapon in the 1970s and yet continued down a path of increasing dependence. We saw the consequences of oil shocks, of price manipulation, of economic blackmail, and still we refused to correct course. We allowed the illusion of energy globalization to blind us to the necessity of energy sovereignty, to convince us that market forces alone would ensure security, as though the nations who sought our dependence would not exploit it for their own gain. We replaced long-term vision with short-term thinking, dismissed energy dominance as outdated, and prioritized the profits of multinational corporations over the security of the republic.

Political hesitation, corporate greed, and shortsighted policies eroded what had once been unquestioned dominance. Instead of doubling down on self-sufficiency, we outsourced refining capacity, curtailed domestic exploration, and made deals with nations whose interests run counter to our own. We exchanged national resilience for economic convenience, assuming that foreign suppliers would always be willing, that markets would always be stable, that energy abundance would always be ours without effort. But power does not sustain itself. Strength does not persist in the absence of will. What was once American-owned, American-extracted, and American-controlled has been surrendered to foreign actors who now hold the keys to the lifeblood of our economy.

This was not inevitable. This was not the result of depletion, nor of a lack of resources. The United States still sits atop vast reserves of oil, gas, and coal. It still has the capacity to lead the world in nuclear energy, in hydroelectric production, in renewable innovation. The problem was never scarcity—it was submission. It was the willingness to prioritize short-term cost-cutting over long-term national survival. It was the refusal to make the hard choices, to stand against the forces that sought to weaken our self-reliance. It was the decision, whether through negligence or intent, to accept dependence as the cost of globalization, to ignore the lessons of history, to believe that a nation that does not control its own energy can still control its own fate.

But energy independence is not an archaic idea. It is not an outdated philosophy to be discarded in favor of international entanglement. It is, and always has been, the foundation of national strength. The nations that produce their own power dictate their own terms. Those who must import it live at the mercy of others. America once led because it controlled its energy. It will lead again only when it takes that control back.

Now we stand at the edge of a precipice. Our economy remains dependent on oil imports from nations that do not share our interests. Our electrical grid relies on energy sources that are neither secure nor sustainable. Our industries are left at the mercy of foreign supply chains, their lifeblood controlled by adversaries who will not hesitate to use energy as a weapon. The wars of the 21st century will not be fought merely with weapons; they will be fought with oil, with gas, with lithium, with rare earth minerals.

The victors will be those who control their own energy, who ensure that the lights stay on not because they paid tribute to a foreign power, but because they built their own foundations of strength.

America can achieve energy independence. It must. And it must do so not in the distant future, not as a theoretical ambition, but as an immediate national imperative. The solution is not singular. It is not the blind reliance on any one source, nor is it the wholesale rejection of any particular form of energy. The solution is to harness everything—coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectricity—to build an energy system so vast, so redundant, and so resilient that no foreign nation can ever again dictate the terms of American prosperity.

History has shown that energy independence is not merely possible but necessary. During the 1973 oil crisis, when foreign oil-producing nations embargoed the United States, this nation learned a brutal lesson in economic warfare. Prices soared, supply lines crumbled, and for the first time, America realized the cost of dependence. In the years that followed, there were efforts to change course. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve was created. Domestic production was encouraged. But these efforts were fleeting, abandoned when oil prices stabilized, forgotten when the illusion of security returned. The lesson was not learned.

We must not repeat that mistake. We must extract and refine our own oil, not because we reject cleaner energy, but because we will not permit foreign adversaries to hold our economy hostage. We must expand our nuclear energy capacity, not because it is the only solution, but because it remains the most efficient and reliable form of clean energy ever developed. We must invest in the future of energy—advancing battery storage, improving grid infrastructure, making renewable energy not just viable but dominant where possible—because to lead in energy is to lead in industry, in innovation, in global power.

Critics will claim that energy independence is a fantasy, that the world is too interconnected, that American energy will always be tied to foreign markets. They are wrong. The technology exists. The resources exist. The only thing that has been missing is the will. Nations like France have shown that nuclear energy can provide the backbone of a power grid with minimal environmental impact. Iceland has demonstrated that geothermal energy can transform an economy. The United States, with its vast reserves of coal, oil, natural gas, its untapped potential in wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear, has more energy capability than any nation on earth. The only barrier to energy independence is the refusal to act.

Energy is not just an economic issue. It is a matter of national security. The ability to power an economy, to fuel an industry, to keep the lights on is as fundamental to sovereignty as the ability to defend one’s borders. A nation that must rely on foreign suppliers for energy is a nation that has already compromised its independence. It does not dictate its own future—it waits for permission. It does not make decisions from a position of strength—it reacts to the demands of those who control its supply. And when crisis strikes, when conflicts arise, when alliances shift, a nation that does not control its own energy will find itself at the mercy of forces beyond its command.

A nation that must beg for power is a nation that has already surrendered. It has surrendered its authority, its stability, its ability to act decisively in the face of geopolitical threats. It is no coincidence that the strongest nations in history have been those that mastered their own energy production. The British Empire, at the height of its power, controlled global coal production and shipping lanes. The United States, in its era of dominance, built an empire on the strength of its oil, its hydroelectric capacity, and its industrial self-sufficiency. But when a nation cedes control of its energy to foreign interests, it does not just weaken—it submits. It places its future in the hands of those who have no obligation to ensure its success, who may in fact seek its decline.

Every dollar spent on foreign oil is a dollar that strengthens a foreign economy instead of our own. It is a transfer of power, of influence, of leverage from our own hands to the hands of those who see us not as partners, but as competitors to be weakened, as adversaries to be controlled. The money that should be fueling American infrastructure, American jobs, American energy innovation is instead fueling the ambitions of oil cartels, of foreign state-owned energy giants, of regimes that do not hesitate to use energy as a weapon. And they do use it as a weapon. Nations that control energy control economies. Russia has wielded natural gas as a bludgeon against Europe, dictating terms by threatening to turn off the pipelines. OPEC has manipulated oil prices to punish and reward, to destabilize markets, to remind the world who holds the power. China has spent decades securing dominance over rare earth minerals, over lithium, over the very materials necessary for the next generation of energy production, ensuring that any nation that wishes to compete must do so on its terms.

Every delay in expanding domestic energy production is an opportunity for adversaries to gain the upper hand. It is a strategic miscalculation of the highest order, a self-inflicted wound that will only deepen with time. The longer America waits to reclaim its energy dominance, the more entrenched foreign suppliers become, the more leverage they accumulate, the more difficult it will be to reverse the course of dependency. Energy is not a resource that can be wished into existence overnight. It takes time to develop infrastructure, to expand refining capacity, to extract resources, to build the power plants, the pipelines, the grids that will sustain a nation. Every wasted year is a year in which adversaries grow stronger, in which American industry is left vulnerable, in which foreign interests tighten their grip around the throat of global energy supply.

Every policy that limits American energy growth is a policy that weakens the republic. There is no excuse for hesitation. There is no justification for surrender. The United States possesses the resources, the technology, the workforce to be the most energy-secure nation on earth. The only thing it lacks is the political will to act. Those who argue for continued dependence, who delay projects, who block expansion, who insist that foreign energy is a viable alternative to self-reliance are not advocating for economic prudence—they are advocating for national decline. They are ensuring that America remains at the mercy of decisions made in foreign capitals, that its economy remains tethered to the decisions of governments that do not share our values, that it cannot move without first considering the consequences of angering its suppliers. This is not strategy. This is not progress. This is submission.

If America is to remain strong, it must reclaim its energy independence, it must seize the future of power, and it must do so with the urgency that the moment demands. This is not a matter for debate. This is not a distant policy objective to be pursued over decades. This is a national emergency. The future belongs to those who control energy, and the longer America waits, the more it cedes its power to others. Energy independence is not a luxury—it is a necessity. It is not an economic talking point—it is the very foundation of national security. And it must be pursued with the full force of a nation that refuses to be ruled by anyone but itself.

This is not a partisan issue. It is not a debate to be stalled by ideological rigidity. It is the survival of a nation at stake. The fight for energy independence is not about left or right, Republican or Democrat, environmentalist or industrialist. It is about whether this nation will stand as a sovereign power or kneel as a dependent, whether we will forge our own destiny or allow it to be dictated to us by foreign suppliers, hostile governments, and corporate interests that care more for quarterly profits than national strength.

It is time to rebuild the energy infrastructure that once made America a global powerhouse. The pipelines, the refineries, the power plants, the grids—these are not relics of a bygone era; they are the arteries of a modern economy, the backbone of a nation that refuses to be weakened by inaction and neglect. We cannot afford to let our energy future be determined by outdated infrastructure, by a grid vulnerable to collapse, by production capacities choked by regulations and red tape that serve no purpose but to stall American progress. Every delayed project, every canceled permit, every abandoned energy initiative is another brick in the wall of national decline. That wall must be torn down. We must modernize. We must expand. We must break through the artificial barriers that have turned America from an energy titan into a dependent state.

It is time to tap the resources that lie beneath our feet, to unleash the innovation that can make energy cleaner, more abundant, more secure. America is not a nation of scarcity. We do not lack oil, gas, coal, uranium, wind, solar, or the technological prowess to harness them all. What we have lacked is the will, the resolve, the courage to stand against the interests that profit from our weakness. The politicians who would rather import than produce, the executives who offshore energy investment for a quick return, the bureaucrats who slow progress under the weight of endless review and indecision—they are the ones who must be cast aside. The future will not wait for their cowardice to subside. If we do not act now, we will look back in decades to come and wonder how we let our own abundance slip through our fingers while the world moved forward without us.

It is time to cast off the chains of foreign dependence and stand, once again, as a nation that fuels itself, that powers its own future, that bows to no one. This is not just about the present; this is about the next fifty years. What we do now will determine whether America enters the coming decades as a colossus of industry or a husk of what it once was. If we fail, if we continue to kneel before foreign oil, foreign lithium, foreign uranium, if we allow our energy future to be dictated by nations that do not share our interests, then we will become what we once feared: a second-rate power, a nation rich in history but weak in presence, looking back on past glory while others dictate the terms of the future. But that is not who we are. That is not who we have ever been.

Energy independence is not a dream. It is not a fantasy for some distant generation to ponder. It is a necessity. It is the defining battle of our time. The wars of the future will not be fought solely with missiles and armies; they will be fought with energy—who controls it, who produces it, who has the power to dictate terms. If we do not secure that power, if we do not declare energy independence with the full weight of our economic and industrial might, then we will be at the mercy of those who do. This is not a choice. This is survival. And it is time for America to achieve it.

Let the weak falter. Let the doubters waver. Let the bureaucrats delay. But let the builders rise, let the innovators advance, let the workers take back what is theirs. Let the energy renaissance begin. We will not wait for permission. We will not beg for scraps from the tables of foreign nations. We will not allow our future to be written by those who profit from our dependence. We will take it. We will seize it. We will ensure that for the next century and beyond, America stands not as a nation beholden to others, but as the unchallenged master of its own fate.

Let there be no misunderstanding—energy independence does not mean dirty energy. It does not mean rolling back the clock, poisoning the land, or ignoring the reality of environmental responsibility. It means power. It means sovereignty. It means using every tool at our disposal to ensure that America is beholden to no one. The future of energy is not just about abundance; it is about dominance, about forging an energy policy so unassailable that no foreign adversary, no corporate interest, no cartel can dictate the terms of American prosperity.

The false choice between energy independence and environmental responsibility has been the greatest lie of our time. We can achieve both, and we will. The resources beneath our feet—oil, gas, coal—remain critical, but they are not the only path forward. Nuclear energy, the most efficient and reliable power source in human history, must be expanded without delay. Clean, advanced drilling technology must be deployed, ensuring that every drop of domestic energy is extracted with precision and minimal impact. Renewables must be integrated where they strengthen the grid, not as symbolic gestures but as legitimate contributors to a new era of power generation. The electric grid must be rebuilt, modernized, hardened against collapse, and designed for resilience. Battery technology must be developed and manufactured here, not left in the hands of foreign supply chains.

America does not have to choose between strength and sustainability. It must command both. Those who say energy independence requires reckless extraction or environmental degradation are the same voices who told us that globalization would make us richer, that outsourcing would strengthen the economy, that foreign oil was a small price to pay for economic efficiency. They were wrong then, and they are wrong now.

Let us be clear: The future of American energy is American-made, American-controlled, and American-led. We will not sacrifice our sovereignty for the illusion of environmental purity pushed by those who would rather see this nation dependent on foreign supply chains. We will not allow regulatory paralysis to keep us in the dark while competitors march forward. We will lead in clean energy not by submission, but by strength—by ensuring that every watt of power that fuels this nation is produced by American innovation, American industry, and American resolve.

The work does not stop here. Energy independence is not an isolated victory; it is the foundation for a larger transformation. The next frontier is manufacturing. For too long, America’s factories have gone silent, its production lines shipped overseas, its industrial heart hollowed out by decades of misguided trade policies. But energy independence is the key to reversing this decline. With secure, abundant, and domestically controlled energy, we will fuel the rebirth of American manufacturing, the resurgence of industry, the return of economic strength that cannot be outsourced, cannot be compromised, and cannot be taken away.

This is the dawn of a new era. This is the moment where America reclaims its birthright—not just as an energy superpower, but as the beating heart of global industry. Let the weak continue to doubt, let the hesitant continue to stall. But let those who see the future step forward. Let those who refuse to accept decline rise. Let those who understand that a nation that controls its energy controls its destiny lead the way. The work begins now. The era of American resurgence is here.