Power the Future

Activities

Power the Future (PTF) was established by Daniel Turner to advocate for rural, energy-industry-based communities, with a focus on how policy decisions impact energy-industry workers. PTF claims that well-funded left-wing activists are shutting down energy development, resulting in negative consequences for small communities including chronic unemployment and increases in poverty, crime, and opioid use. PTF shares research and information about the energy industry with the press and the public and calls attention to misinformation from these activists. ¹

Power the Future supports energy in all forms, including weather-dependent energy, especially as weather-dependent energies become more efficient and cost-effective for consumers. PTF advocates for the overall U.S. energy industry, stating that all Americans benefit from cheap and abundant energy. Power the Future claims that the loss resulting from shutting down energy production in rural America does not outweigh the “ideological win” of doing so, and that it would also oppose political efforts to close thriving weather-dependent energy plants. ¹

Power the Future advocates for what it sees as responsibility and accountability for the energy industry and claims that the U.S. can have cheap, abundant, reliable energy while innovating with new energy sources. PTF further claims that technological advances will find energy solutions and that damage to the current energy industry will only harm future environmentalist energy advancements. ¹

Funding

Power the Future is funded by donations from private citizens and states that it does not receive funding from corporations or businesses. ¹

Leadership

Daniel Turner is the founder and as of 2025 was the executive director of Power the Future. Turner is an commentator on energy and environmental issues especially as they relate to jobs, rural communities, and the U.S. economy. Turner formerly worked as director of strategic communications at the Charles Koch Institute, vice president of communications at Generation Opportunity, and network and cable liaison director for the 2012 Republican National Convention. ²

As of 2025, Charles Gantt was the treasurer of the board of PTF and a senior vice president at Red Curve Solutions, a political compliance firm. Gantt formerly worked for the 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign as a senior financial analyst. ³

Other members of the board include Jared Leland and Robert Turner. ⁴

Richard (Rick) Whitbeck Jr. is the former Alaska state director for PTF and as of 2025 worked as the Alaska state director for U.S. Representative Nick Begich (R-AK). Whitbeck formerly worked as a field director for Stand for Alaska, a founding partner of Pinnacle Group Alaska, and a business development manager at Alaska Communications. ⁵

As of 2025, Larry Behrens was the communications director of PTF. Behrens formerly worked as the New Mexico state director for PTF, the communications director for former New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez (R), and director of external affairs for New Mexico Energy. ⁶  Behrens is the author of the book Sabotage: How Joe Biden Surrendered American Energy Independence. ¹