MESSAGE FROM CHAIRMAN

Oklahoma Representative Nick Archer

For more than half a century, The Energy Council^® has brought legislators, researchers, regulators, and industry leaders together to advance responsible, sound energy policy. That mission has never been more important.

North America is entering a new era of energy demand. Changing federal policies, global competition, technological innovation, expanding energy exports, and the return of domestic manufacturing are reshaping the energy landscape. At the center of this transformation is the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, data centers, and other energy-intensive industries.

These developments offer tremendous economic opportunity. They also raise serious questions about whether generation, pipelines, transmission, water, and workforce development can keep pace. Our task is to support growth while protecting energy reliability, affordability, and the families and businesses already paying for the system.

Oil and natural gas remain essential to global energy security and national competitiveness. They provide reliable and consistent energy that powers economies, supports industry, and creates the foundation for future growth. Maintaining a dependable supply of these resources will remain critical to meeting demand and preserving North American energy independence.

At the same time, interest in advanced nuclear, geothermal, hydrogen, storage, renewable generation, and other emerging technologies continues to grow. New approaches, including behind-the-meter and co-located generation, could bring energy supply closer to major users. These opportunities deserve serious examination, but they must be developed in ways that strengthen the energy system, assign costs fairly, and protect existing customers.

These challenges and opportunities will shape The Energy Council^®’s priorities for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. During the coming year, the Council will focus on three key themes:

• Energy and Environmental Innovation, Security, and Economic Growth
• Reliable, Resilient, and Affordable Energy Systems
• Powering the Digital and Industrial Economy

Through these focus areas, we will examine policies, experiences, and best practices from states, provinces, nations, and industry leaders. We will explore how traditional and emerging resources can work together, how infrastructure can be expanded responsibly, and how energy-producing states and provinces can lead during this period of extraordinary change.

Our work must go beyond recognizing challenges. We will compare policies, examine what is working in practice, and develop sound principles that legislators can take home and put to work.

I encourage you to join The Energy Council^®’s leadership as we work to strengthen North American energy security, support responsible economic growth, and power the next economy.

ABOUT THE ENERGY COUNCIL^® 

The Energy Council^®  is a non-partisan legislative organization founded in 1975. The original five member states (Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico) were located within the same region, and the group was initially known as the Southwest Regional Energy Council.

The organization was formed to provide a forum for state legislators interested in energy policy. Today the member states number fourteen, including West Virginia, Mississippi and Alabama to the East and Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, and Alaska to the West. It allows legislative policymakers to maintain a dialogue and learn more about energy issues of importance to their states, citizens, environment and revenue base. In recognition of the continental nature of energy markets, the Council has welcomed the Canadian Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, as well.

For energy producing states and provinces, a better understanding of energy markets, technology and policy, as well as related environmental concerns, benefits lawmakers and their constituents. The Energy Council^® is a proven resource for developing energy policy leadership.