For Texas economy and U.S. energy independence, there’s no choice but Donald Trump

One of the most underappreciated achievements of Donald Trump’s presidency is that we’ve regained America’s energy independence — a goal of every administration since we lost it more than a half-century ago.

Contrary to fears about “peak oil,” this country now produces more petroleum than ever before. That’s a dramatic shift from just nine years ago, when we still imported far more oil than we produced domestically.

And though we still buy a certain amount of fuel from overseas, overall domestic energy production in 2019 exceeded consumption and energy exports outpaced imports for the first time since the 1950s. We also became a net exporter of petroleum.

All three achievements were last seen during the Eisenhower administration. Under Trump, they have become promising trends that we can happily recognize as the “new normal.” Estimates now show that, based on our current course, America will remain a net energy exporter for decades to come.

Americans must understand that energy independence is economic independence. It means the U.S. economy is less susceptible to global energy shocks. And our leaders can make policy decisions without being beholden to the interests of oil-producing countries such as Iran and Venezuela — both of which are among the most authoritarian and anti-American regimes in the world.

As an added bonus, low energy prices tremendously weaken those regimes. Not only are they deprived of the world’s largest market for oil consumption, but the increased supply of oil also forces them to sell at significantly lower prices.

Energy independence is not merely about lines on a graph, oil company profits, or even low prices at the pump and on your heating bill — although the Trump years have undeniably been an incredible boon for working families in those respects. The ability to domestically produce the energy we need to keep our economy rolling strengthens the entire country.

In Texas alone, despite our diversified economy, the growth within the energy sector is crucial and significantly affects the rate of our ability to expand other areas such as trade, hospitality, manufacturing and the professional services sectors. Texas also heavily relies on energy for the funding of our public schools, universities and health care.

With the development of new domestic energy sources comes the creation of new, high-paying jobs, which have benefited Texans immensely.

These incredible achievements did not happen all on their own. They are a result of many factors, but foremost among them is the economic viability of “fracking” — a technique known since the early days of petroleum extraction — to unlock America’s rich reserves of oil and natural gas from shale rock.

This is especially important to understand in this election, because these are exactly the techniques and operations that Joe Biden told his fellow Democrats he would ban during the primaries. Even in the last presidential debate, Biden made it clear to all Americans that he will transition away from oil and gas production.

Across the nation, over 7.5 million jobs rely on leasing and fracking operations. In Texas alone, a ban will cost our state billions of dollars and well over a million jobs. Now is not the time to risk the economic future of Texas nor that of our entire nation.

Trump, by contrast, remains as committed to American energy independence as he was when he declared his candidacy in 2015. He’s rolled back excessive and ineffective regulations, allowing the shale oil boom to keep booming, reducing the costs to produce energy, and making us a dominant player in the global energy market that was once filled with hostile adversaries.

Even as that’s happened, carbon emissions have dropped — a feat made possible in large part by the clean-burning natural gas that fracking makes available in abundance. The president is also committed to increasing renewable energy production and further developing clean coal technology.

American energy independence is a worthy achievement that must be maintained. The only viable path to maintaining it is the one Trump has already blazed. If Biden is elected in November, fracking will eventually be banned and as a result, our economy will suffer greatly.

Energy independence is the best way to keep costs low and jobs high – and re-electing President Donald Trump is critical to the economic future of Texas and our nation.