An America First Energy Secretary

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Even though the polls are screaming that this will be a close election, it looks like former President Donald J. Trump has a good chance of returning to the White House this January to continue his America First agenda. The Biden administration has not prioritized Americans regarding how they power their cars, heat their homes, and run their small businesses. The choice this Tuesday between continuing radical environmental policies that toss aside common sense when it comes to energy policy and a reasonable one supported by Trump is stark.

On energy policy, former President Trump has been campaigning to continue his American energy independence agenda. Trump should appoint a new secretary of Energy who consistently supports his agenda in words and deeds. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is one potential nominee who fits the bill perfectly.

South Dakota has been a model state for conservative governance under Noem. Unemployment in the state was at 1.8%, the lowest in the nation, and there was record growth. The state has no personal income tax while running a surplus over the past few years. Governor Noem rejected $70 million in energy and environmental programs from the federal government because of the unbalanced federal budget and the long-term funding commitments that come with that infusion of cash. The underlying green policies that are married to the federal grants were not good for consumers in South Dakota over the long term. Noem is a leader in an “all of the above” energy policy that does not bully states and consumers into adopting specific types of energy production.

In contrast to the Biden administration’s attempt to bully Americans into purchasing electric vehicles (EVs) and to force the use of renewables, the Trump administration embraced all forms of energy, The Trump administration made great strides in energy independence between 2017 and 2021 that provided low energy prices to struggling Americans. According to an archive of former President Trump’s White House official statements, under the Trump administration, “for the first time in nearly 70 years, the United States has become a net energy exporter.” The Trump administration can brag that under his leadership, the U.S. became the “number one producer of oil and natural gas in the world.” Governor Noem would be the perfect leader to continue policies using free markets instead of government coercion to get consumers to use more renewable energy.

Governor Noem has taken bold action to oppose government intimidation of consumers from using fossil fuels.  If consumers want renewables, then the producers should use old-fashioned competition to wean Americans off fossil fuels. Governor Noem’s rejection of $70 million of federal funds from energy efficiency and environmental programs removed a tool of the federal government to bully South Dakotans to abide by Biden’s Green New Deal. The goal of the feds is to force a transition to renewable energy sources, even if certain renewables prove to be more expensive than fossil fuels. Policies should come from government that are good for families and small businesses, not ones that force bad decisions on consumers. 

Governor Noem is a leader in how states deal with energy policy. The South Dakota governor recently joined a number of other states to form the Governor’s Coalition for Energy Choice. In joining the group, the governor said, “We believe in an all-of-the-above approach to unleash American energy and drive down costs for families across our great country. South Dakota is the number one state in America for production of renewable energy, not because we mandate it, but because we trust our energy producers to create the most energy for South Dakotans at the lowest cost.” Leaders on this issue who stand up to the left-wing Green New Deal movement have resulted in the federal government trying to ban gas-fueled cars, encourage local governments to ban gas-powered leaf blowers, and provide grants to states to push them toward a radical agenda to ban the use of anything but renewable energy sources.

If all goes well this Tuesday, President Trump would be well served to appoint South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as the next secretary of Energy to make American energy great again.