The Big 3: Social Security, Medicare – and energy security

The article was originally published at The Empowerment Alliance and is re-published here with permission. 

When defining the one economic aspect of society that most affects every American, the cost of energy always lands in the top position.

Think about it: Is there anyone whose daily existence is not directly impacted by energy availability and costs?

A friend who is an Ohio farmer posed that question to me, and I responded, somewhat facetiously, “Not for anyone outside the Amish.”

“They are not immune,” he quickly corrected me. “They buy my hay to feed their horses, and the cost of my hay goes up with high fuel prices.”

But despite its pervasive impact on all of our lives, our public policy approach to energy has been absurdly haphazard, its importance routinely undervalued.

While many government leaders have shamefully politicized our approach to energy, the Biden administration in particular abandoned all common sense, going so far as to endanger U.S. security by ignoring the needs of families and businesses in order to artificially prop up “alternatives” through subsidies and mandates.

Fortunately, the Trump administration has reversed course. But even now, no comprehensive blueprint for our energy future has been clearly articulated. “Drill, baby, drill” is a good starting point, but it does not address delivery systems, refining needs, electric grid challenges and many other long-neglected issues.

Worst of all, it ignores the most important step to secure America’s energy future – codifying into law the guarantees Americans deserve. No matter how much the Trump administration achieves through executive orders, fast-tracking permits or canceling billions in subsidies for pie-in-the-sky wind and solar projects, it all could be undone by the next administration.

That’s why it’s imperative that Congress enact the Affordable, Reliable, Clean Energy Security Act (ARC-ES) introduced last month by Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH). To assure abundance and affordability, ARC-ES mandates an evidence-based, all-of-the-above approach to energy. It requires that sources used for electricity are dispatchable 24 hours a day, seven days a week (and therefore are not dependent on wind or sunshine) and has the ability to ramp up or down electricity generation within an hour in order to stabilize the grid.

ARC-ES is not a Republican or Democrat issue. The need for affordable, reliable energy crosses party lines. It equally impacts “blue” and “red” states. Energy issues do not discriminate – the absence of affordable energy will make lives harder, or its abundance will make lives richer, for people of all races and genders.

Energy security deserves its place as another third rail of American politics, a pledge that no politician dares to break. Through the years, virtually all Americans have come to consider Social Security and Medicare as sacred promises to our citizens. While some might suggest tinkering with them from time to time to address solvency and fairness, politicians from the left and right have united around them, acknowledging the crucial role they play in our society.

Likewise, energy security must be a solemn social promise for now and for generations to come. Americans deserve the ironclad guarantee that they will have access to energy that is affordable for their budgets, available when they need it, and clean enough to meet commonsense emission standards.

ARC-ES guarantees that among our “all-of-the-above” energy sources will be nuclear and pipeline quality natural gas, without which the goals of affordability, reliability and abundance cannot be achieved, especially with electricity-hungry data centers rapidly expanding nationwide.

Energy costs and availability impact every aspect of our economic lives. The cost of the electricity that powers our homes and businesses and the price of fuel for our vehicles are the first and most important factors determining our quality of life.

The cost of energy is a trickle-down certainty. From delivery costs to move products from place to place, to electric bills for heating things that must stay warm or cooling things that must stay cold, the price businesses pay for energy – costs that are passed on to consumers – has a greater impact than any other single factor.

For families, the more obvious costs of energy – home heating and cooling bills, or filling up at the gas pump – and the hidden costs of energy – how much we’re paying for goods and services because of the energy expenses associated with them – directly influences other spending decisions.

How many groceries can we afford? Can we meet our out-of-pocket medical expenses? Can we go back-to-school shopping? Can we take a family vacation? Do we have the funds for basic car repairs? Can we afford the internet, or upgrade our smart phones? Does a husband or wife need to take on a second job to make ends meet?

Put simply, cheap energy – which is made cheaper when it is abundant – is the answer to virtually every economic challenge facing nearly all Americans.

Whether it’s the transportation expenses for businesses, or the heating and cooling bills for American households, or, yes, the cost to the Amish for the hay to feed their horses, energy security impacts everyone. Just as Social Security and Medicare substantially ease Americans’ worries about their future, it’s time to remove cost-of-energy uncertainties for our citizens by making ARC-ES the law of the land.

The government officials who lead the way in guaranteeing affordable, reliable and abundant energy will ensure decades of prosperity for our nation and its citizens. Putting energy security at the top of their agenda will enhance the lives of all Americans.

There could be no greater gift for our nation’s 250th birthday than passage of ARC-ES, positioning America as the beacon of freedom for the next 250 years.

Gary Abernathy is a longtime newspaper editor, reporter and columnist. He was a contributing columnist for the Washington Post from 2017-2023 and a frequent guest analyst across numerous media platforms. He is a contributing columnist for The Empowerment Alliance, which advocates for realistic approaches to energy consumption and environmental conservation. Abernathy’s “TEA Takes” column will be published every Wednesday and delivered to your inbox!