When you reflect on the history of the Mountain State, the words “West Virginia” and “energy” are inextricably linked. Coal was first discovered in West Virginia in 1742, natural gas was first struck in 1815, and the state’s first oil-producing well was completed in 1860. Each of these discoveries happened before West Virginia was recognized as the nation’s 35th state. In fact, West Virginians were enjoying public electric streetlamps a full three years before electric lights were installed in the White House in 1891. When it comes to energy, West Virginia has always led the way.

West Virginia energy has been used to fortify our country, connect our communities with reliable infrastructure, and provide affordable electricity that Americans need and deserve across our country. This duty is part of the shared identity between West Virginians and is a central aspect of the culture and history here that has withstood the test of time. That tradition is something to be proud of, and something that Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration are committed to continuing.

West Virginians know too well the attacks that have targeted our way of life, first by President Obama and later by President Biden. These attacks sought to harm our states’ energy and infrastructure industries. Thankfully, we’ve been able to work together to right the wrongs of the Obama and Biden EPA in just the first 300 days of the Trump administration, and our visits across West Virginia this week highlighted the impact our policies are making.

We began by hosting a roundtable discussion in Charleston with energy and manufacturing leaders who are making important investments in energy security and economic development. We’ve reached a pivotal moment for American energy and manufacturing. In talking with industry leaders, it was clear that quick deregulatory actions by EPA this year are already making a difference.

Next, we visited the John Amos Power Plant in Winfield to see operations firsthand as coal-fired electricity generation is increasingly necessary to meet power demand. For years, we have warned about the consequences of Democrats’ “Clean Power Plan 2.0” that aimed to shut down power generation through coal and natural gas. Under President Trump’s leadership and his support for coal, EPA has begun the process of ending this reckless and unconstitutional policy, and is making investments in coal-fired power.

We then visited the Toyota plant in Buffalo that employs thousands of West Virginians to meet with their leadership and hear about their growth over the past year. Facilities like Toyota were under threat from the Biden administration’s EV mandate that would have banned the sale of gas-powered cars across 30% of the U.S. market, eliminating jobs and consumer choice. The good news is we worked together to reverse this policy earlier this year and preserve employment opportunities up and down the automotive supply chain. West Virginians don’t want an EV mandate, and we’re proud to have led efforts to protect American workers and consumers from this radical and drastic policy.

Finally, we traveled to Apple Grove and visited Nucor Steel as they move towards becoming fully operational. Nucor Steel is vital to manufacturing in West Virginia and has already made a major economic impact. Nucor also provides an important perspective on our country’s broken permitting and environmental review process, as lengthy delays and red tape nearly halted the facility’s construction. The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have made permitting reform a central priority and continue to work to reform this burdensome process while ensuring our environment continues to be protected.

Our visits displayed directly how early successes and policies we’re working on in Washington are making a difference in West Virginia. Our country needs to be able to build again, we need to be able to generate reliable and affordable electricity, and we must be able to invest in our communities. Together, the EPA and the EPW Committee are working to unleash American energy, spur economic development, and create good-paying jobs while always protecting the air, land, and water of our communities.

While this is a great start, more work remains to be done, and we’ll continue to work for West Virginians and Americans across our great nation.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), is Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Lee Zeldin is Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.