According to Elected Officials to Protect America, The Trump administration’s backing of fossil fuels over clean energy for energy security highlights the urgent need for the U.S. and every nation to develop and implement clean energy security solutions for world security. (Adobe Stock)
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By Mark Richardson
Aug 12, 2026
A group of current and former elected officials and energy advocates from the US, UK and Ukraine argued America’s energy security depends on renewable energy sources, climate resilience and environmental protections rather than an expanded reliance on fossil fuels.
Leaders of the group Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) said fossil fuel dependence is a source of vulnerability, while clean energy is more secure.
Alex Cornell du Houx, cofounder and president of the group, said at a news conference this week in Washington DC the current system of centralized, carbon-driven power makes the country weaker overall.
“Imagine the freedom we would have if we didn’t depend on transporting 40% of our trade and having to go through two chokepoints that take up half (of) global energy. This is why clean, distributed energy is a solution that democratizes energy and empowers our country,” Cornell du Houx explained.
Cornell du Houx, a former Maine state representative, and combat Marine, pointed out even war-torn Ukraine is successfully developing a rapid clean-energy economy through solar, wind and battery storage, arguing it proves clean energy can be deployed quickly, strengthen reliability, attract capital and contribute to wartime and post-war economic resilience.
The organization has developed a “Ukraine Energy Security Marshall Plan,” calling it a framework to rebuild Ukraine. It emphasized AI-powered modeling, microgrids, storage, local generation and infrastructure.
Cornell du Houx noted the ongoing blockade in the Strait of Hormuz is a prime example of how widely distributed power systems fueled by oil, gas and coal leave the U.S. vulnerable to energy shortages and interruptions.
“Fossil fuels are now more expensive, less secure, and we’re dependent on a certain number of choke points to get them through, and a majority of the fossil fuels are produced by states that are dictatorships,” Cornell du Houx emphasized.
The group is calling on U.S. leaders to move away from fossil fuels and form partnerships to help cities design, finance and implement resilient energy systems. It stressed officials in Washington, D.C., should incentivize private investment in the use of strong environmental and clean energy policies.
