Republican-led states are passing legislative reform to develop energy infrastructure, which is aligned with President Donald Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda, which lawmakers argue boosts economic growth and enhances national security.

As the Trump administration pursues domestic oil and gas production, red states are streamlining the permitting process for energy infrastructure and limiting regulations that hinder energy development.

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Alabama, Ohio, and South Carolina are just three examples of GOP-led states using their legislative power to unleash American energy for the benefit of their constituents.

In May, Gov. Kay Ivey (R-AL) signed a bill into law that establishes an “energy infrastructure bank” to provide loans to eligible utility projects to meet the increasing power demand and accelerate the development of rural areas. The bill, named the Powering Growth Act, also allocates $50 million to two state funds to boost industrial development.

Ohio delivered on lowering taxes, removing subsidies, expediting the permitting process, and other energy reforms through an extensive bill designed to facilitate more in-state electric generation. Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) signed the bill, which will take effect Aug. 14.

South Carolina passed a bill clearing the way to open a new 2,000-megawatt natural gas plant in coordination with Dominion Energy, encouraging the development of nuclear energy to meet the state’s growing energy demands. Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) signed the legislation last month, following through on his promise to expand the state’s use of nuclear power.

Republican officials are confident the legislative efforts will help meet their states’ energy consumption and foster economic growth once the laws are in full swing.

“State Republicans are implementing an America first energy agenda that reduces costs for American families and counteracts the Democrats’ restrictive policies that hinder our energy infrastructure,” Mason Di Palma, communications director of the Republican State Leadership Committee, told the Washington Examiner. “We are implementing practical solutions to lower prices at the pump and enhance America’s energy grid, all while promoting economic growth.”

In California, gas prices rose significantly after a gas excise tax increase and updated emissions rules took effect on July 1.

Gas is increasing by 1.6 cents per gallon, bringing the total tax to 61.2 cents per gallon. The state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard rules are expected to incur higher costs, with an estimated increase of 5 to 8 cents per gallon at the gas pump or even a 65-cent hike in the short term.

The latter number was put forward in an October 2024 study published by the University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. The study also found that gas prices will increase by 85 cents per gallon by 2030 and $1.50 per gallon by 2035. The study blames California’s LCFS program for the rapid rise in gas prices.

In November 2024, the California Air Resources Board approved the updated emissions regulations to help meet the state’s goal of 30% carbon reduction by 2030 and 90% reduction by 2045. The revised rules are part of the state’s efforts to transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles by 2035.

California Republicans took aim at the 65-cent hike to argue against the state’s emissions regulations, while Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and his administration claimed the oil industry is peddling misinformation about the state’s rising gas prices.

California currently has the highest average gas price across the nation at $4.54 per gallon, according to AAA data on fuel prices, although it is gradually decreasing by the day. Hawaii has the second highest at $4.47 per gallon. Most states, however, are experiencing a wave of lower gas prices that hasn’t been seen since 2021; the national average is $3.17 per gallon.

The White House attributes the drop in gas prices to Trump’s focus on gas and oil over renewable energy sources.

While many red states embrace fossil fuels and renewable energy sources, which they see as a way to diversify energy supplies and reduce electricity costs, blue states primarily appear to be defending their clean energy goals. Notably, California is currently retreating from some of its climate policies as it faces political pressure.

In New York, Democratic lawmakers blocked GOP legislation that would have required a cost-benefit analysis of renewable energy and zero-emissions mandates. The bill would also have delayed the mandates for another 10 years to give the state time to assess whether they would increase electricity rates by over 5%.

Republicans blamed the New York State Assembly’s Democratic majority for killing the bill.

The executive branch doesn’t have the same obstacles when reversing climate mandates.

Trump recently phased out subsidies for renewable energy sources through an executive order following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The order directs Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to eliminate tax credits for wind and solar energy and tasks Interior Secretary Doug Burgum with revising regulations that give preferential treatment to such energy sources.

The action is designed to increase the nation’s energy security and independence, which has become a priority for national security-minded Republicans who want to make the United States less reliant on foreign countries for energy production.

China controls over 80% of the global market for components needed to make solar panels or lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Some believe this is intentional.

A recent report from State Armor posits that Beijing pushes “green” technologies to make the U.S. more dependent on China’s energy supply chain and that the foreign adversary co-opts climate change lobbying to force a retreat from fossil fuels. The report cites the Chinese Communist Party’s ties to Energy Foundation China as evidence for its argument.

The tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, led by former Chinese Communist Party official Ji Zou, influence climate policy in the U.S. Zou previously served on China’s climate negotiation team for the 2015 Paris Agreement. Although the organization’s headquarters are in San Francisco, California, its primary operations are in Beijing, China.

EFC is “really operating as an extension of the Chinese Communist Party, and they shouldn’t enjoy this 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations status that’s reserved” for educational, charitable, and religious organizations, American Energy Institute CEO and former Texas State Rep. Jason Isaac told the Washington Examiner. “They’re taking advantage of that and to our detriment.”

The pro-China nonprofit has funded research at flagship educational institutions, such as Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley, according to State Armor’s report. It has also funneled at least $12 million to liberal climate nonprofits, like the National Resources Defense Council, since 2020.

EFC also “supported Harvard’s research of creating a hydrogen hub in Texas meant to decarbonize the United States and beyond,” Isaac said. “Decarbonization is a political agenda propagated by the Chinese Communist Party.”

Chinese-affiliated entities have also taken an interest in Texas land over the years.

Houston-based company GH America, which is controlled by Chinese billionaire Sun Guangxin, paid an estimated $110 million to acquire 140,000 acres of land in Val Verde County, Texas. Guangxin purchased 15,000 acres of land to develop a wind farm on, sparking concerns because of its proximity to Texas’s electric grid and an Air Force base.

The acquisition caught the attention of Texas lawmakers, who in 2021 unanimously passed a bill banning contracts between Texas entities and foreign businesses that would grant the latter access to the state’s electric grid and other critical infrastructure.

Expanding its restrictions on China, the Texas legislature recently approved a bill that denies land ownership to foreign entities of concern. The Department of Agriculture plans to implement a nationwide ban on farmland bought by people and companies from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. The state law takes effect Sept. 1.

State Republicans were at the forefront of crafting both pieces of legislation.

GAS PRICES: CONTINUE TO FALL AFTER THE JULY FOURTH HOLIDAY

While blue states like New York double down on climate mandates and emissions regulations, red states like Texas are advancing practical policies that lower energy prices, streamline permitting, and curb foreign influence.

With the Trump administration reinforcing these efforts at the federal level, the Republican Party’s energy strategy is gaining momentum as a viable alternative to progressive climate policies. It offers voters a stark contrast between regulatory restraint and government-sponsored decarbonization in the nation’s complex energy debate.