Energy 101

Natural gas is an energy Swiss Army knife used for electricity generation, transportation fuels, and home heating. The fuel can also be used to make a variety of chemicals, such as fertilizers and hydrogen. Current estimates show the United States has enough natural gas to last us through the end of the 21st century.

Nuclear energy development peaked in the 1970s and 1980s, and most of our current reactors began in those two decades. Increased regulation and opposition from environmental groups and their allies have contributed to the slowdown in nuclear energy growth. Nuclear development in the U.S. has virtually flat-lined for the past three decades and continues to face huge challenges.

Hydropower harnesses the force of flowing water to create electricity. It is one of the oldest and most affordable ways to make electricity. In fact, one of the world’s first commercial power projects made hydroelectricity from Niagara Falls in 1896. In a testament to their durability, many hydropower projects built during that era are still churning out electrons today.

Technology innovation is America’s specialty. It’s what maintains our international leadership and competitive edge and what will ensure our nation’s future success. Half of all economic growth in the U.S. since WWII can be linked to technological innovation.

Coal power plants generate electricity by burning coal to boil water. The resulting steam is then used to spin turbines that generate electricity. Unlike wind and solar power plants, coal power plants can make electricity around the clock. Historically, this reliability benefit and cheap prices made coal power plants the preferred source of U.S. electricity.

The suspension — at least for now — of the first two U.S. conventional nuclear reactors under construction in more than three decades, underscores what was already painfully obvious: the future of nuclear and of clean energy broadly will rest on the backs of people who decide to lead today.

The Department of Energy can return to its innovation heyday, where policymakers, researchers and developers were all on the same page on what was needed to turn a blueprint into a billion-dollar industrial breakthrough. But it’ll take sustained federal dollars and vision to get there.

The gas that lights your stove and heats your water is also changing the world. It’s natural gas, and thanks to fracking, it’s cheap and plentiful in America. Fracking kicked off a new energy renaissance in America. The innovation is one of the factors that has helped bring our economy out of recession and has helped create hundreds of thousands of American jobs across the country.

Common sense reforms would boost American energy security, grow the tax base, and help commercialize low-carbon fossil fuel technologies. Instead of just saying no, environmentalists, private firms and government must roll up their sleeves and work together to drive growth and ensure a cleaner, more secure energy future.