Sudden cancellations of major energy projects by different administrations have the same damaging effect: they wreck investor confidence, cost American jobs, and undermine national energy security while highlighting the need for a steady, all-of-the-above approach to keep power flowing and factories humming.
“It’s déjà vu all over again.” That famous line fits because we have seen the same political pattern play out with very different energy technologies. One administration pulled the plug on Keystone XL and another moved to halt offshore wind projects already permitted or under construction.
These moves are not neutral bureaucratic choices; they send a loud signal to capital markets and workers. When long-planned projects are canceled after years of permitting and investment, companies and people who built supply chains and trained for those jobs count real losses.
Colette Hirstius warned the administration’s action is “very damaging” to investment and made the plain case that “energy projects with proper permits should be allowed to proceed,”. Her point is simple: predictability matters more than political posture. If the rules can flip every few years, companies will sit on their wallets rather than finance new capacity here at home.
Keystone XL was more than a single pipeline; it was proof that thoroughly reviewed infrastructure can enhance domestic energy security. Canceling that project was symbolic and costly, because it undid years of permitting and workforce planning. Likewise, offshore wind projects like Revolution Wind had passed scrutiny and already employed thousands of Americans in shipyards and on construction crews.
Policy that alternates between wholesale bans and sudden approvals forces investors to choose the safest option: do nothing. That paralysis shrinks the energy pie instead of growing it. The people paying the price are welders, electricians, steelworkers, engineers, and the towns that depend on those paychecks.
Practical energy policy should reject zero-sum thinking that pits oil against renewables or pipelines against turbines. An all-of-the-above strategy is not a slogan; it is a practical path to resilience, lower costs, and a stronger economy. Producing more energy domestically, across every viable source, reduces reliance on hostile suppliers and cushions Americans from price shocks.
Voters want reliable power, stable jobs, and leadership from Washington, not theater. They want America to be energy independent and prosperous, goals that demand policy consistency and a willingness to build infrastructure regardless of the political winds. President Donald Trump campaigned on energy dominance, and that aim only succeeds if policy supports long-term investment.
Canceling permitted, financed, or under-construction projects hurts communities and undermines national security by shrinking domestic supply. It is hard to argue that either canceling Keystone XL or halting wind projects after approval advances America’s strategic interests. The sensible path is predictable rules that let projects finish and let markets and workers plan ahead.
We can have secure grids, growing industry, and new technologies, but only if Washington stops swinging like a pendulum and starts backing steady, commonsense energy policy. That requires protecting investments that have passed environmental and permitting tests and encouraging development across oil, gas, nuclear, solar, hydro, and wind. THIS IS HOW AMERICA WILL ACHIEVE ENERGY DOMINANCE
