Op-Ed: America’s energy struggles and a path to security

Audio By Carbonatix

America stands at the threshold of a new economic era, one that promises greater prosperity, security, and connectivity. Yet for communities across the Sunbelt and the nation, the energy required to power a 21st-century economy is outpacing supply, threatening a daily reality of frequent blackouts and sky-high energy prices.  

At the same time, the very forces driving this strain – technology, population growth, and infrastructure – also hold the keys to America’s future. Harnessed effectively, they can create jobs, fuel economic growth, and strengthen national security. If policymakers and private-sector leaders embrace this moment with an ambitious, pro-infrastructure, all-of-the-above energy strategy, the nation can turn today’s challenges into lasting energy security and independence. 

Arizona offers a window into the country’s broader energy struggles. Arizona is now home to 162 AI data centers, which place enormous demands on the state’s electric grid, far beyond what traditional infrastructure was designed to handle. The state has also seen a population boom in the last 25 years, increasing by 2.5 million people since 2000. Combined with the extreme heat of desert summers, population growth has led to increased energy demand for homes, transportation, and businesses. As if these challenges weren’t enough, electricity generators plan to retire 12.3 gigawatts (GW) of capacity in 2025. While this represents a large portion of the nation’s existing grid, replacement plans remain inadequate. 

The good news is that solutions are within reach, and while new technologies may be part of the problem, they also offer exciting opportunities to unlock our nation’s energy potential. Since January, the Trump Administration has been leading the charge, easing access for American companies to produce oil and natural gas and reducing red tape to support the construction of critical energy infrastructure. President Trump also announced Stargate LLC, a $500 billion public-private partnership with leading technology companies to build the physical and digital infrastructure necessary to power next-generation artificial intelligence. These actions are creating good-paying jobs for Americans, enhancing American economic power and energy security, and reducing reliance on foreign powers that don’t share our interests. 

The private sector is also stepping up. Two recently announced projects in the Sun Belt show what’s possible when companies are empowered to act. Energy Transfer’s planned expansion of the Desert Southwest Pipeline will carry natural gas from the Permian Basin to markets in the Southwest, adding 1.5 billion cubic feet per day for communities in Arizona and New Mexico with growing demand. Arizona’s two largest utility companies have already signed agreements to secure capacity from the pipeline, which will support new gas-fired power plants and reduce strain on the state’s energy grid. Though completion is not expected until 2029, construction alone will create 5,000 jobs, with Energy Transfer pledging to prioritize local and union workers.  

ONEOK’s proposed Sun Belt Connector Pipeline offers another example of infrastructure investment tailored to real-world energy needs. Unlike the Desert Southwest Pipeline, this project would transport refined products rather than natural gas. When operational in 2029, it will extend from El Paso to the Phoenix area, supplying refined fuels, including jet fuel, to one of the nation’s fastest-growing transportation hubs.   

Projects like Desert Southwest and the Sun Belt Connector Pipeline should not be exceptions but instead serve as models of what America can achieve with the right policies in place: creating jobs, strengthening infrastructure, and meeting the demands of a growing economy.  

Far from the grim possibilities of rolling blackouts and sky-high energy prices, these energy projects help us to imagine a future where families enjoy lower energy bills, where workers find job opportunities building the infrastructure of tomorrow, and where America leads the world in both innovation and security. If we rise to meet the energy challenges of our moment, this future is not far off.   

Achieving this future will take an aggressive, all-of-the-above strategy combining natural gas, oil, nuclear, renewables, and emerging technologies. Policymakers from the federal and state levels must also work together with private sector partners instead of trying to score cheap political points. Yet, despite the regulatory and infrastructure challenges we currently face, projects like Desert Southwest offer a blueprint for how the U.S. can achieve our energy potential.