HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – President Donald Trump has declared a national energy emergency as one of his first acts of his second term in office.
Trump intends to streamline the permitting and review process that, according to his press office, imposes undue burdens on energy production and use.
Augusta County Republican Committee Chair Ray Eppard said a long-term benefit will be environmental because of the regulations on American energy production. A short-term benefit will be lower gas prices and added that clean energy production is not possible without fossil fuels.
“So much is generated with the use of fossil fuels,” Eppard said. “A lot of people do not realize this, almost all the clean energy … like the windmills — they are produced using fossil fuels.”
Eppard said these changes will help low-income families, and if the pipeline is restarted in Alaska, it would also create jobs.
“A lot of critics will say this is designed to help the wealthy,” Eppard said, “but the bottom line is this will help working families who are struggling to get by week to week.”
Alleyn Harned, director of Virginia Clean Cities, said the price of gasoline and diesel is high and that society needs to do better with its energy.
“So much is generated with the use of fossil fuels, and almost all the clean energy is produced, like the windmills, they are produced using fossil fuels,” Harned said.
Harned said electric vehicles are cheaper than gasoline or diesel and the choice to have electric vehicles will be a part of the country’s future.
“Electric vehicle production is going to keep moving forward. America has achieved its maximum levels of fossil fuel production,” Harned said. “We produce more oil now than we have ever produced, and gasoline prices went up 30 cents this week, so I think we will have a continued need for electric vehicles,”
Harned said the choice to have an electric vehicle is the future of energy in the U.S.
“I think there is a lot of misinformation with electric vehicles, and I think some of that pushback is marketing,” Harned said. “It is significantly lower priced than gasoline or diesel.”
Copyright 2025 WHSV. All rights reserved.