Alex Epstein

Philosopher and energy expert

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

https://t.co/EPWIQs1qgD

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

The UK should serve as a wake-up call for every country still pursuing "net zero" energy policies.

Even partial implementation of "net zero" in the UK has led to a drop in electricity use per capita since 2000 so big it's exceeded by only 5 (extremely poor) countries.

[Sam Dumitriu @Sam_Dumitriu]

This, if anything, underplays it.

Only Yemen, Zimbabwe, Jamaica, Tajikistan and Syria have seen bigger drops in electricity use per capita since the year 2000.

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

It is difficult to build transmission lines in the US.

If handled correctly, we can unleash cost-effective transmission lines that save money for ratepayers and make the grid more reliable. If handled incorrectly, it will unleash wasteful transmission lines that will be an absolute disaster for electricity prices and our grid.

Solution:

Transmission permitting should have strict criteria to ensure it optimizes for lowest cost and sufficient availability of reliable electricity for ratepayers.

[Alec Stapp @AlecStapp]

Possibly the most painful chart to look at in energy policy:

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

AI data centers:

✅ Create very little pollution
✅ Won't raise electricity prices if we stop restricting electricity supply
✅ Have not been shown to eliminate jobs on a significant scale

Oh and also:

✅ Give everyone a genius assistant for the cost of a Netflix subscription.

[Jena Nelson @jenanelsonforok]

AI data centers:

❌ Pollute our air and water
❌ Raise the price of our electricity
❌ Eliminate good-paying jobs

✅ I will fight back against these Big Tech monstrosities in Congress!

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

The EPA set record-high biofuel mandates in March of this year.

The result?

Much higher prices for "RINs," the biofuel credits refiners must buy to comply with the mandate.

That means higher gasoline prices for you, because refiners pass along higher RIN costs to consumers.

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

Myth: Light-water nuclear reactors are too expensive and slow to build.

Truth: China has spent the last decade rapidly expanding its nuclear fleet using large light-water reactors. These reactors only seem too expensive and slow to build in the US because of terrible policies!

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

Comparing subsidized solar and wind growth to the shale revolution is an egregious equivocation.

The shale revolution was driven by pioneering oil and gas entrepreneurs who used engineering ingenuity to turn previously uneconomic shale formations into vast sources of natural gas.

The result was cheaper, more abundant, and more reliable energy for Americans.

Solar and wind growth has been driven largely by massive subsidies, mandates, and other government preferences hundreds of times larger than the R&D subsidies shale ever received.

The result has been more expensive energy and a growing reliability crisis.

[Zeke Hausfather @hausfath]

While the shale gas revolution has transformed the US electricity system, so has the rise of wind and solar which have added nearly as much generation as gas since 2005.

Both have met new demand while decimating US coal generation.

[Logan Dobson @LoganDobson]

Virginia is voluntarily joining a greenhouse gas reduction network that will drive up energy costs.

People will blame data centers. They’ll be lying, but they’ll do it.

[Ayn Rand Institute @AynRandInst]

Over the last two centuries, America’s businessmen have liberated all of us economically, creating unprecedented wealth and opportunity. But tragically, businessmen themselves have often become increasingly shackled politically. At OCON 2026, @AlexEpstein will share how he has succeeded in helping businessmen in the energy industry reverse that trend—by giving them a moral appreciation of their work and by giving politicians a blueprint for championing and implementing pro-freedom energy policies. He will draw lessons that can be applied to the liberation of all of America’s producers.

Register today » https://t.co/v8RpGLt2y8

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

Such a crucial point.

[Daniel Priestley @DanielPriestley]

Under capitalism, socialists are free to build socialism.

Under socialism, capitalists aren’t free to build anything.

Nothing stops a group of socialists pooling their money, forming a company, and splitting every wage and every pound of profit perfectly equally.... Or to donate all profit to the government.

It’s legal. It’s easy. Owning the means of production is as simple as setting up a company.

Marx wrote his manifesto before the invention of limited liability companies. Back then “seize the factory” meant seizing it from the handful of families who could afford one.

That argument expired the day anyone could start a company with limited liability, raise investment and hire who they want.

Socialists are free to lead by example and demonstrate their system works. They can out-recruit, out-motivate, out-build and out innovate based on their ideas if they like. It would prove the philosophy works. Capitalism will happily host their experiment.

The fact that nobody does this tells you a lot.

[Dan Crenshaw @DanCrenshawTX]

Remember the ESG craze a few years ago?

Banks were scared to finance oil and gas. Bitcoin mining was supposedly boiling the oceans. Cow farts were destroying the planet.

That same anti-growth mentality has now shifted toward AI data centers.

Yes, they use enormous amounts of electricity. Fine, let’s figure out how to put more power on the grid. That’s what major technological revolutions require. And energy markets are already responding. Many data center companies want to build their own power sources and I have legislation that would streamline permitting to do that.

Yes, they use water for cooling. Mostly water that would otherwise flow out to sea.

In return? Trillions in private infrastructure investment. American jobs. AI leadership over China. Breakthroughs in medicine, engineering, and science.

America became powerful by building things. We shouldn’t start apologizing for it now.

https://t.co/UrqZWWOZ15

[Amesh Adalja @AmeshAA]

“Aid officials briefed on the lab say that it processes about 40 tests most days..1 day managed just 20 because officials ran out of fuel for the generator that powers it”—access to cheap energy (from fossil fuels) provides resiliency to infectious disease https://t.co/zFekxZrSx5

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

@GriffinHilly This is the way. https://t.co/aXDOJ48vF7

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

This passage on diaper-changing from Magda Gerber changed my life.

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

I love diaper-changing, too. It's such an opportunity to connect with my kids while I'm actively doing something to make their lives a lot better.

[Griffin Hilly @GriffinHilly]

I wrote about why I love changing dirty diapers and I won't let the robots take that away from me.

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

This passage on diaper-changing from Magda Gerber changed my life.

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

I love diaper-changing, too. It's such an opportunity to connect with my kids while I'm actively doing something to make their lives a lot better.

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

Does anyone else get constant spam texts offering to loan them exactly $16K?

Why is this such a popular number?

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

Why is "Big Tech" being demonized for the energy demands of AI, when it is we Americans who are doing the demanding?

And that demand is good! AI will give us all access to a level of advice, education, and assistance once enjoyed by only the very wealthy.
https://t.co/yM3qO2ikcq

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

I disagree with @chiproytx on many things but there is no member of Congress who has done more to save our electricity grid.
https://t.co/Appf4qfcIr

[Brad Johnson @bradj_TX]

This California-based pro-green energy PAC spent another $1 million+ against @chiproytx in its pre-runoff report: https://t.co/1zDbLvhVIK
#TXAG

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

The federal government just transferred 1.4 million acres of land to the state of Alaska.

The "green" movement hates this since now the land might be developed.

But people have the right to purchase and develop land. Next step: privatize much more "public" land across America!

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

People of different political persuasions are starting to wake up to the fact that Germany’s decades-long war on nuclear power helped create its extremely high energy prices.

That's true.

But don't forget it was also their decades-long war on fossil fuels!

[Jan Rosenow @janrosenow]

Germany's electricity mix, 2000 vs 2025:

Renewables: 6% → 62%
Fossil fuels: 62% → 36%
Nuclear: 30% → 0%

Nuclear's exit was filled by renewables, not coal or gas.

Want more of this content + more detail and links to sources? Subscribe to my Substack: https://t.co/nBMZPS4HTp

[Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein]

It's a huge red flag if an article defends the supposed success of solar/wind by comparing the "capacity" of batteries with the capacity of nuclear plants.

A battery lasts for a few hours.

A nuclear plant goes for 1-2 years straight after refueling!