'Energy Independence' in Trump's America

The politics of energy independence are both deeply bipartisan and deeply partisan.

Every president since Richard Nixon has declared a goal of eliminating America’s dependence on foreign sources of energy. But each President approaches independence from a very different political lens. Jimmy Carter was the first to make renewable energy a centerpiece. Ronald Reagan dismantled that strategy and instead focused on lifting price controls on oil and gas.

Later, George W. Bush focused on domestic oil production, but also put in place some foundational policies to support domestic renewables. Barack Obama, of course, put renewables front and center.

Today, we have Donald Trump, who has made coal-powered "energy dominance" the centerpiece of his energy policy. What does that mean exactly?

And after nearly 50 years of talk about energy independence, how are we doing?

Joining us this week is Sarah Ladislaw, a senior vice president and director of energy and national security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She'll help us America's energy import-export balance in a historic, geopolitical context.

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Recommended reading:

• Foreign Policy: A Short History of Energy Independence
• Sarah Ladislaw testimony: Geopolitics of U.S. Oil and Gas Competitiveness
• Wall Street Journal: Is the U.S. On Track for Energy Independence?

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