Why Trump needs Mamdani to achieve “energy dominance” and Trump voters might too
How Trump voters in the Appalachian Valley could benefit from Mamdani’s energy policy
In a recent response to Putin’s refusal to cooperate in efforts to end the war in Ukraine, President Trump imposed sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, a welcome show of love lost between strongman leaders.
However, the US doesn’t actually import Russian oil at the moment. Russian crude oil and natural gas imports have been banned in the US since 2022. Trump’s sanctions won’t change US import volume at all. So why do it?
Because that wasn’t the point of the sanctions. The real bite in this move is that the sanctions are on the companies themselves, rather than their products, making the threat of secondary sanctions deter countries in Asia and Europe from doing any business with the sanctioned companies.
That means other countries will need to buy oil and gas from someone else…like us.
Punish Russia. Profit at the same time.
So far, so good.
But was this the move that gets us one step closer to Trump’s plan for “energy dominance?” That depends on what you mean by dominance. Or rather, who.
Who profits exactly?
If Europe and Asia suddenly need more Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), it’s going to be more profitable for US producers to export rather than sell domestically. The problem then is that the price of exported natural gas is valued at global market parity and domestic prices for Americans actually go up.
Typical Americans will pay higher energy bills heating their homes so that LNG exporters can increase profits.
These sanctions will definitely be effective in hurting Russia, but the sanctions alone might not necessarily help Americans.
Right about now you might be wondering what this could possibly have to do with Zohran Mamdani.
Well, New York City’s brand new mayor might be Trump’s first step to lowering natural gas prices for regular Americans at home.
Here’s how:
Mamdani has made anything but a quiet entrance onto the political stage with ambitious plans for the big apple, not the least of which are his plans for green energy retrofit of schools and government buildings in addition to abundant new housing with renewable energy infrastructure.
While Mamdani’s social democratic agenda has enraged the right and garnered threats from Trump that he’ll take over the city with the force of the national guard, there might actually be a reason for Trump to let Mamdani keep his foot on the (other) gas. (Wow, that pun was extra cringey. But it was getting a little tense there for a minute.)
A New York City that has invested in green energy and become less dependent on fossil fuels might be a key piece of the supply-and-demand puzzle for Trump’s plan for energy dominance - a dominance that brings down the price of natural gas for all Americans (and doesn’t just benefit LNG exporters), that is.
Because if NYC needs less natural gas, then there’s more for everyone else. It would take pressure off of the demand, and could ultimately lower energy prices for other Americans.
The most direct impact of electrification of buildings in NYC (switching from gas furnaces and boilers to electric heat pumps) would be lessening the massive burden on pipeline capacity constraints in the Northeast. This could reduce severe price spikes which would benefit consumers and businesses all across CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, and WV.
So even a Trump voter in the Appalachian valley who might disagree with Mamdani’s policy in NYC just might find themselves benefiting from it.
And more regions of America might find their energy prices falling in the long run. If more cities like NYC start to take the lead (and the initial costs) in green energy infrastructure, domestic prices for natural gas could be driven down due to lower domestic demand resulting in cheaper energy prices for regular Americans.
Pressuring Asian and European markets to stop buying oil and gas from Russian oil companies was a gutsy move which will surely impact the global market. But energy dominance in America should mean Americans (and not just American exporters) feel the benefits.
So let’s not hold our breath for President Trump and Mayor Mamdani to become best bros anytime soon. But they honestly don’t need to work together. Not on this anyway. President Trump’s sanctions on Russian oil companies could be complemented by the domestic impact of letting Mamdani’s plans for NYC play out.
If Trump simply doesn’t interfere with Mamdani’s policy in NYC, it could end up benefiting him indirectly. And the American people (no matter who they voted for) will be the ones who profit.
