By Crystal Staebell

At this year’s Energy Imperatives Summit, the mood was clear: the United States stands at an energy crossroads, and time is running short. From natural gas to nuclear to grid modernization, the conversation wasn't about whether we need more energy, but rather about whether we can overcome the bureaucratic inertia and regulatory overreach fast enough to build it. Leaders from government, industry, and civil society echoed a reality often ignored in debates, that our energy demand is growing rapidly, driven by AI and data infrastructure, and the system we have simply isn’t prepared. It’s hard to ignore that China is surging ahead while the United States is still caught in permitting purgatory.

Panels consistently pointed to the mismatch between ambition and execution. Despite talk of a “renaissance” in advanced nuclear and geothermal, the regulatory ecosystem (particularly the NRC) remains a stubborn obstacle. Secretary Chris Wright captured the moment well when he said that the “math needs to work,” a reminder that no matter how idealistic the energy transition may sound, physics and markets still rule. Encouragingly, there’s growing bipartisan momentum on permitting reform and a pragmatic shift away from subsidy-first policy toward market-focused deployment tools.

Looking ahead, we expect an aggressive push on LNG exports, faster permitting, and a revival of domestic uranium enrichment. If June’s summit showed us anything, it’s that America still has the talent, capital, and willpower to lead in energy. The question is whether we’ll allow our own restrictions to keep us stuck at the starting line while our competitors overpass us.