Powering Prosperity
America's energy renaissance now has its own calendar entry. President Trump has proclaimed October 2026 National Energy Dominance Month, and the proclamation points to a record that families and workers can see for themselves.
The numbers are significant. The administration has approved over 6,000 drilling permits, more than in any year in over a decade, and committed over $1 billion to revitalizing the nation's coal industry. It has saved more than 100 coal plants and ended the freeze on new natural gas export terminals. America also reached record domestic oil and gas production and record liquefied natural gas exports in 2025, with 2026 on pace to break those records again. Abundant energy is not an abstraction. It is the foundation under every factory, farm, and kitchen table in the country.
But producing more power is only half the equation. Who pays for it matters just as much.
Last week, the Department of Energy announced its support for guidance from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that would keep electricity costs down across the PJM Interconnection, the grid serving the mid-Atlantic. DOE filed a formal intervention backing PJM's proposed Reliability Backstop Procurement, an urgent effort to bring new generation online. The principle behind it is simple and fair: large electricity users should pay for the power plants and infrastructure needed to serve them.
That principle comes from President Trump's Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which he arranged on March 4. It is common sense. When a massive new customer plugs into the grid, the family down the street should not be left holding the bill. Under DOE's position, households and businesses are protected from subsidizing large loads. Those large users can build, bring, or buy the capacity they need. And grid planners must use accurate, transparent demand information.
In January, the administration called on PJM to hold an emergency power auction and speed up reliable generation after spotting early warning signs of capacity shortfalls. Governors from all 13 PJM states joined that call, a rare moment of agreement that shows how widely electric reliability and affordability are shared concerns.
The approach also avoids a false choice. For years, Americans were told they had to pick between growth and affordability: either welcome new industry and watch rates climb, or protect ratepayers and turn away investment. This framework rejects that trade-off. It lets innovators build, but ensures they carry their own weight. It treats the free market as a partner, not a problem, by asking those who benefit most from new capacity to help pay for it.
Reliable, affordable power is also essential to bringing manufacturing home. A steel mill, a chip fabrication plant, and a data center all need abundant electricity around the clock. A country that cannot keep the lights on cannot lead the world in advanced technology, and it will not win the next century by importing its strength from abroad.
The Lafayette Partnership champions American energy independence and the principle that sound policy should empower markets, not burden families. Making large users responsible for the costs they create, and clearing the way to build new generation, fits squarely within that mission. These are practical, market-minded solutions to a very real kitchen-table concern.
As National Energy Dominance Month continues, the lesson is clear. Energy abundance and affordability are not competing goals. With the right rules, they reinforce each other.