Reigniting American Energy Isn't a Step Back, It's a Strategic Leap Forward

By Vickie J. Greer, Co-Founder & CEO, Waveland Energy Partners

In the first months of 2025, President Trump issued a sweeping set of executive orders that reversed the direction of U.S. energy policy. The reaction was swift and celebrated in some corners, condemned in others. But one fact is undeniable: these actions have altered the course of American energy development in ways we have not seen in a generation.

This isn’t just a policy change. It’s a strategic recalibration and one that recognizes the role domestic energy must play in our economy, national security, and global influence.

We should be honest with ourselves: The vision of a rapid, global energy transition driven entirely by renewables has collided with reality. Inflation, geopolitical instability, and constrained infrastructure have all revealed how premature it was to marginalize fossil fuels without a reliable, affordable, and scalable alternative. Europe’s overreliance on Russian gas reminded the world of what happens when energy policy is guided by politics instead of pragmatism.

Now, with the revival of U.S. leasing programs, fast-tracked infrastructure permits, and a reset on regulatory overreach, we’re seeing American hydrocarbons placed back where they belong – at the center of an “all-of-the-above” strategy for energy resilience.

Critics will call it a step backward. It’s not. It’s a strategic leap forward. Here’s why.

1. Energy security is national security.

Energy isn’t just a domestic issue; it’s a diplomatic tool, an economic lever, and a deterrent against adversaries. When America’s liquid natural gas flows into Europe, it weakens authoritarian influence. When American producers drill onshore, we’re not enriching foreign regimes. The 2025 executive orders recognize this and integrate energy production into broader national defense and trade policy.

2. Infrastructure is no longer a bottleneck.

Permitting reform, especially around the National Environmental Policy Act, has long been overdue. Projects that serve national interests should not take a decade to approve. With emergency permitting authority now available for pipelines, export terminals, and critical minerals, the country can finally address longstanding chokepoints in natural gas transport and electricity reliability, especially in New England and California.

3. Federal lands matter again.

Much of America’s most prolific oil and gas acreage lies on federal land, particularly in New Mexico’s Delaware Basin. Under the new policies, previously stalled leases are moving forward, unlocking significant production potential with some of the lowest carbon intensity per barrel in the world.

4. Consumers deserve energy choice.

The rollback of the federal electric vehicle mandate restores balance to the market. American families and businesses, not bureaucrats, should decide what vehicles they drive and how they power their homes. Energy diversity, not forced electrification, will keep our economy both competitive and resilient.

This is not a rejection of renewables. Wind, solar, and emerging technologies will, and should, play an increasing role in our energy future. But excluding hydrocarbons from the conversation has proven shortsighted, costly, and dangerous. Our nation’s energy mix must reflect not just aspiration, but application.

Investors, policymakers, and industry leaders now have an opportunity to recalibrate. Capital is beginning to flow back into oil and gas development. Liquid natural gas infrastructure projects once shelved are re-entering the permitting queue. Regions like the Permian Basin, the Bakken, and the Delaware are poised to play outsized roles in the revitalization of American energy.

We should seize this moment to not just produce more energy, but to produce it more efficiently, cleanly, and strategically than any other nation in the world.

In the years ahead, the world will need more energy, not less. America should be the one providing it.

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