Nebraska has an opportunity to strengthen its energy dominance

Energy issues have been thrust into the national spotlight as Americans look to their elected leaders to lower the cost of living and power key industries in their states. Fortunately, Nebraska is leading the charge on energy affordability, and it has paid dividends for our state’s economy.

While energy has taken center stage in the national debate in recent years, the Cornhusker State was ahead of the curve developing an all-of-the-above generation mix that provides residential and industrial customers with low-cost, reliable electricity. In fact, Nebraska produces more electricity than it consumes, enabling us to export our resources to other states. This surplus has resulted in our state boasting some of the lowest electricity prices in the country—a testament to our public power model, diverse energy resources, and modern grid.

Governor Jim Pillen has been a fearless advocate for Nebraska’s energy independence and has worked with President Trump, Secretary Burgum, and other officials to unleash American energy. Taking the shackles off our homegrown energy resources and advancing pro-growth policies is the centerpiece of the Trump administration’s agenda and it is an area that Nebraska can serve as a model for other states looking to power their vital industries.

This leadership will only become more necessary as Nebraska strengthens its role as a destination for technologies like AI, which are being tapped to optimize our manufacturing sector and win the tech race with China. President Trump has called for increased energy generation and expedited permitting processes to fuel AI dominance and ensure that the U.S. maintains its lead over our adversaries in in core technologies. This is another opportunity for Governor Pillen to work with the administration and be an example for other states looking to attract investments in data centers and other industrial facilities.

Nebraska has shown that investing in a state’s energy dominance has a positive ripple effect across industries and leads to broader economic growth. Nowhere has this been more pronounced than Nebraska’s leadership on biofuels. Our state has transformed into a biofuels powerhouse, leveraging one of the nation’s largest corn crops to become the second-biggest ethanol producer in the U.S. Our two dozen ethanol plants churn more than 2 billion gallons of ethanol annually and have helped reduce our dependence on foreign petroleum. I was proud to champion legislation during my time in office that vested our public power districts with the authority to develop, manufacture, and purchase biofuels, extending our public power model’s success to the liquid fuels space and helping to lower energy costs and improve environmental outcomes in the process.

While Nebraska has racked up a laundry list of wins on the energy front, this is no time to rest on our laurels. Our industrial economy continues to grow and this will require increasing amounts of reliable power in the years ahead—especially energy-intensive industries like farming, chemical production, and machinery manufacturing. It is imperative that we build on our past successes and work hand in hand with our federal partners to bolster Nebraska’s energy security and power the industries of the future.

Dan Hughes from Venango served in the Nebraska legislature from 2015-2023.