Senator Thune Calls for Stronger Action to Address U.S. Energy Reliability and Costs
Washington, D.C., February 27, 2025 — In a Senate floor statement delivered during the 119th Congress, Senator John Thune of South Dakota addressed the ongoing energy challenges facing the United States, emphasizing the urgent need for action to secure a reliable and affordable energy future.
Senator Thune began by criticizing the opposition of Senate Democrats to President Trump’s declaration of an energy emergency, which he issued on his first day in office to address mounting energy concerns. According to Thune, the declaration aimed to increase energy production, build necessary infrastructure, and ultimately lower energy prices. However, Thune pointed out that Democrats had dismissed the energy crisis as a “sham” and an “emergency in search of an emergency.” He expressed concern over the Democrats’ refusal to acknowledge reports of potential blackouts, rising energy prices, and the warning from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation about “mounting resource adequacy challenges” in the coming years.
Thune continued by outlining the actions being taken by Senate Republicans to address what they see as the Biden administration’s anti-energy policies. One significant action was the passage of a resolution aimed at halting the Biden administration’s marine archaeology rule, which he argued added unnecessary costs to offshore oil and gas production. This new regulation, Thune noted, required unnecessary archaeological reports for offshore projects even when no evidence suggested the presence of archeological sites, potentially slowing down energy production.
Thune also criticized President Biden’s offshore leasing plan, which he argued had severely limited the number of available offshore leases, falling to just three from an earlier draft under the Trump administration that proposed 47. In addition, Thune highlighted the Biden administration’s last-minute ban on oil and gas production in 625 million acres of U.S. waters, questioning the rationale behind such severe restrictions on natural resources.
Later in his statement, Thune discussed a resolution set for a vote in the Senate to block a proposed $6 billion natural gas tax included in the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act. Thune expressed concern that this tax would increase costs for energy producers, particularly smaller operations, and lead to higher utility bills for Americans. He noted that the tax could jeopardize tens of thousands of jobs, particularly in states with significant natural gas resources such as Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Texas, and North Dakota.
Thune concluded by urging Democrats to reconsider their position and join Republicans in promoting affordable energy prices for Americans, emphasizing that Republicans would continue working to build a more secure and affordable energy future regardless of Democratic opposition.
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