How energy policies hold back America’s potential

Oct 24, 2025 by AFP

High energy costs are choking America’s potential.

They’re not just raising our utility bills — they are raising the price of everything: groceries, gas, housing, and the American Dream itself.

If energy drives prosperity, federal energy policies restrict it. 

Americans for Prosperity is working to change federal energy policy to unleash American energy independence through its “Prosperity Is Possible” campaign.

This includes a “Road to Prosperity” tour stop at the Montana Energy Summit, hosted by Gov. Greg Gianforte and the Montana Chamber of Commerce.

High energy costs and rising frustration

Families are tightening budgets.

Businesses are delaying investments.

And it’s not because we lack resources. It’s because we’re not allowed to use them.

The United States sits on vast reserves of energy, yet prices stay high because bureaucracy blocks production.

In fact, permitting delays due to restrictive federal energy policies place $4.5 billion in customer savings and 150,000 American jobs at risk.

Every new layer of regulation adds costs, slows innovation, and puts American workers on the sidelines.

A maze of red tape

For decades, Washington has piled layers of rules that stall prosperity.

Because of these federal policies and subsequent lawsuits, challenging approvals have resulted in:

  • Energy projects that take five to 10 years just for approval, due to unclear and inconsistent permitting requirements
  • Efficient plants like Montana’s Colstrip power plant facing shutdowns because of arbitrary EPA rules
  • American energy lagging behind countries which are modernizing their review processes to shorten timelines and attract investment American energy lagging behind countries that are modernizing their review processes to shorten timelines and attract investment

Americans for Prosperity in Montana shows what’s possible

“Montana fuels America — and America needs Montana,” said AFP–Montana State Director Jesse Ramos. “Here’s the truth: If we get energy, work, and innovation policy right, Montana can lead the next American energy renaissance.”

Voices in Montana made it clear: Independence is possible if government gets out of the way.

Ramos told a story that cut straight to the heart:

Libby, Montana, a once-proud timber town, was silenced, not by exhaustion of resources but by D.C. regulations.

“The mill didn’t close because we ran out of trees,” Ramos said. “It closed because Washington decided it knew better.”

“The day the mill closed, men sat in their trucks, staring at the ground. They weren’t losing their paycheck, they were losing their purpose.”

The Montana Energy Summit brought together industry leaders, legislators, and innovators who were determined to make sure towns like Libby have strong futures.

The panels and speakers explored what real reform could look like, including:

  • Permitting reform that turns decade-long reviews into decisions made in months, so projects like the Montanore Mine, first proposed in the 1980s, can finally move forward.
  • Modernizing the grid to prevent rolling blackouts, especially in winters when negative-30-degree temperatures can make blackouts deadly. Modernizing the grid to prevent rolling blackouts, especially in winters when minus-30 temperatures can make blackouts deadly.
  • Balancing stewardship and strength, letting Montanans manage their forests and resources responsibly instead of letting them burn.
  • Diversifying energy innovation, from advanced nuclear to clean coal and projects that harness local ingenuity, not federal mandates.
  • Reclaiming dignity in work by ensuring Montana’s loggers, miners, and engineers can once again earn respect by building the backbone of American energy.

Across every panel, one truth echoed:

Fewer federal energy restrictions result in American abundance.

Clear the path and let Americans embrace energy independence

It isn’t just in Montana.

You see it.

All over the country, Americans must make tough decisions when energy costs go up.

Luckily, the solution is remarkably simple.

Washington must let innovators and builders … innovate and build, instead of burying them in paperwork. This will allow everyday people to embrace the American Dream and thrive.

This is possible if Congress:

  • Passes permitting reform and streamlines decisions in the permitting process
  • Modernizes infrastructure and expands the grid to keep up with the demands of electric energy and AI expansions
  • Trusts workers on the ground to protect the land and build a sustainable future
  • Allows for an all-of-the-above energy strategy, allowing states and localities to embrace energy that makes sense for them

Take action: Tell Congress to work on energy independence and reduce federal energy policies

Our Prosperity Is Possible campaign is rallying citizens all over the country to tell Congress: enough with delays and red tape.Our Prosperity Is Possible campaign is rallying citizens all over the country to tell Congress: Enough with delays and red tape.

In addition to restoring dignity and keeping energy prices low, this is about ensuring America remains a leader in the global energy race and keeps prosperity within reach for every American family.

If lower energy prices and energy independence matter to you, please take a minute to sign our survey telling Congress to get to work on American energy independence.

[Sign now]

It’s time to permit prosperity.

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