Western South Dakota News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune addressed the Senate floor to discuss a resolution aimed at ending the energy emergency declared by President Trump. Thune highlighted recent headlines to emphasize the urgency of America's energy situation.

He quoted a Washington Post headline stating, "Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power," and cited an article discussing potential power shortages due to increased demand from data centers and clean-technology factories. Another report from December noted that "more than half the US faces blackout risks in next decade," according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp.

Thune criticized efforts to shut down fossil-fuel-fired power plants without adequate replacement by reliable clean energy sources. He pointed out that data centers powering artificial intelligence could consume more electricity than entire cities, potentially leading to widespread brownouts, blackouts, or high energy bills.

Thune argued that acknowledging the energy crisis is crucial for Democrats, who he believes are reluctant due to their plans to move away from conventional energy sources. He expressed gratitude for having a president who recognizes the national energy emergency and expressed his commitment to working towards a secure and reliable energy future for Americans.