Latest news with #ChrisWright
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Biden's regulations worse than North Korea, Trump energy secretary says
SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA – Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said that the Biden administration "strangled" the state of Alaska with restrictions and red tape that was beyond levels imposed on North Korea, Iran and Venezuela combined. "Alaska, a state that has had more sanctions, more restrictions on production of oil and gas in Alaska than everything we did to Iran and Venezuela and North Korea if they produced any combined. You know, the last administration just strangled Alaska. This awesome state of immense natural resources," Wright said from the Reagan National Economic Forum in Simi Valley, California. Wright joined the inaugural Reagan National Economic Forum on Friday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library to celebrate President Donald Trump's executive orders "unleashing American energy" and how the administration is tackling regulations that have prevented the growth of coal and nuclear energy in recent history. Fox News' Maria Bartiromo moderated the energy-focused panel. He pointed to the Gulf of America and Alaska as two key areas for American energy growth, most notably in the Last Frontier State. Us Federal Agencies To 'Unleash' Coal Energy After Biden 'Stifled' It: 'Mine, Baby, Mine' "Alaska has been this great resource. It boomed and then it's been strangled. The idea is we export oil from the north slope of Alaska, comes by pipeline to southern Alaska, and then exported," he said. "We want to build a pipeline from the north slope of Alaska that brings natural gas, not just oil. And then an oil, a natural gas export terminal on the southern coast of Alaska that in six days can sail to Tokyo or Taiwan or Korea. And then down to our allies in East Asia. So they're getting energy from us. But it would be awesome and great from a geopolitical stance to have a very short supply chain between a huge industrial American facility and our allies in East Asia." Read On The Fox News App Chris Wright Confirmed To Serve As Trump's Secretary Of Energy Wright added that the Gulf of America is a key area of the country to build massive export terminals, where American energy can be exported to foreign nations. "The export terminals today are almost entirely on the Gulf of America, on the Texas and Louisiana coast. And they're there because you can build things there. The natural gas comes from Pennsylvania, Ohio or North Dakota or Texas or Oklahoma. The gas comes from all over. But that's where you can build these giant facilities to export it," he said. Trump Launches 'Decisive Counterstrike' On Dem States That 'Weaponized' Courts Against Coal: Experts Wright added that America was recently the largest importer of oil in the world, but has since become the largest exporter. "We were, not long ago, the largest importer of oil in the world and the largest importer of natural gas in the world. Today, we're the largest exporter of natural gas and a net exporter of oil," he continued. "Who's the biggest importer of oil in the world and the biggest importer of natural gas in the world? Both China. We have an incredible energy system advantage over China. But we should use it not just to the benefit of our country, but to bring security and tight alliances with our allies as well."Original article source: Biden's regulations worse than North Korea, Trump energy secretary says
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
Biden's regulations worse than North Korea, Trump energy secretary says
SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA – Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said that the Biden administration "strangled" the state of Alaska with restrictions and red tape that was beyond levels imposed on North Korea, Iran and Venezuela combined. "Alaska, a state that has had more sanctions, more restrictions on production of oil and gas in Alaska than everything we did to Iran and Venezuela and North Korea if they produced any combined. You know, the last administration just strangled Alaska. This awesome state of immense natural resources," Wright said from the Reagan National Economic Forum in Simi Valley, California. Wright joined the inaugural Reagan National Economic Forum on Friday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library to celebrate President Donald Trump's executive orders "unleashing American energy" and how the administration is tackling regulations that have prevented the growth of coal and nuclear energy in recent history. Fox News' Maria Bartiromo moderated the energy-focused panel. He pointed to the Gulf of America and Alaska as two key areas for American energy growth, most notably in the Last Frontier State. "Alaska has been this great resource. It boomed and then it's been strangled. The idea is we export oil from the north slope of Alaska, comes by pipeline to southern Alaska, and then exported," he said. "We want to build a pipeline from the north slope of Alaska that brings natural gas, not just oil. And then an oil, a natural gas export terminal on the southern coast of Alaska that in six days can sail to Tokyo or Taiwan or Korea. And then down to our allies in East Asia. So they're getting energy from us. But it would be awesome and great from a geopolitical stance to have a very short supply chain between a huge industrial American facility and our allies in East Asia." Wright added that the Gulf of America is a key area of the country to build massive export terminals, where American energy can be exported to foreign nations. "The export terminals today are almost entirely on the Gulf of America, on the Texas and Louisiana coast. And they're there because you can build things there. The natural gas comes from Pennsylvania, Ohio or North Dakota or Texas or Oklahoma. The gas comes from all over. But that's where you can build these giant facilities to export it," he said. Wright added that America was recently the largest importer of oil in the world, but has since become the largest exporter. "We were, not long ago, the largest importer of oil in the world and the largest importer of natural gas in the world. Today, we're the largest exporter of natural gas and a net exporter of oil," he continued. "Who's the biggest importer of oil in the world and the biggest importer of natural gas in the world? Both China. We have an incredible energy system advantage over China. But we should use it not just to the benefit of our country, but to bring security and tight alliances with our allies as well."
Japan Times
6 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Trump officials set for talks with Asia leaders on Alaska energy
Almost two dozen foreign officials are set to join top U.S. government leaders in meetings focused on Alaska's energy resources, as U.S. President Donald Trump encourages other nations to buy natural gas from the Frontier State. Foreign representatives visiting Alaska for the discussions in coming days are expected to include representatives from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, India and the United Arab Emirates, said people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak publicly. The U.S. delegation will be led by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who's also the chair of Trump's National Energy Dominance Council; the panel's vice-chair, Energy Secretary Chris Wright; and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, the people said. The trip is set to include visits to an oil pipeline and gas processing facilities on Alaska's North Slope as well as meetings with industry officials and indigenous people, they said. It comes as Trump moves to expand energy development in the state, a priority he outlined in an executive order hours after his Jan. 20 inauguration. And it coincides with a broad push by other nations to curry favor with the president, including through investment commitments, to ward off threatened tariffs. Trump has repeatedly touted the $44 billion Alaska LNG project, which is meant to transport natural gas across the state for export. Although it has been planned for decades, the project faces headwinds due to its large price tag, mammoth scale and the sheer challenge of constructing an 1,290 kilometer pipeline across Alaska. Trump pressed Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the project during their meeting in February, winning his commitment to cooperate on strengthening energy security, "including increasing exports of United States liquefied natural gas to Japan in a mutually beneficial manner.' Representatives of the Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea also have been in talks with administration officials on the venture. Discussions are expected to unfold over several days, including during site visits at the prolific Prudhoe Bay oil field, which has pumped crude for roughly five decades, and where units of ConocoPhillips and Hilcorp Energy Co. have operations. Other conversations are expected in Utqiagvik and Anchorage, including as part of Governor Mike Dunleavy's Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference. Trump officials see the visit as a chance to highlight the administration's focus on unleashing Alaska's energy abundance and draw a contrast with policies under former U.S. President Joe Biden they say locked up the state's oil, gas and mineral potential. While Alaska LNG will be a significant portion of the discussions, a person familiar with the matter said, there's an opportunity to examine the state's resource potential and further policy shifts that can help deliver it.
Washington Post
7 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
The Department of Energy axes $3.7 billion in clean energy project grants
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Friday he canceled nearly $4 billion in project grants, in another massive blow to clean energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts in the U.S. under President Donald Trump's administration. The grants, largely awarded during former President Joe Biden's final few months in the White House, were primarily for programs to capture carbon emissions and store them underground. Other targeted efforts span cleaner cement, natural gas and more. Some of the 24 canceled awards include $500 million to Heidelberg Materials US, Inc.; $375 million to Eastman Chemical Company; $95 million to Nevada Gold Mines, LLC; and $270 million to Sutter CCUS, among others, according to a list provided by the Department of Energy. Sublime Systems, which lost an $87 million grant, was 'surprised and disappointed,' the company said in a statement. 'Today's action is bad for U.S. competitiveness in the global market and also directly contradictory to the administration's stated goals of supporting energy production and environmental innovation,' said Conrad Schneider, a senior director at the Clean Air Task Force. It 'undercuts U.S. competitiveness at a time when there is a growing global market for cleaner industrial products and technologies.' The news was a swift follow-up to plans the Energy Department announced earlier this month to review 179 funded projects, totaling over $15 billion, that were awarded by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations created under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. It is part of Wright's pledge to ensure 'responsible' spending — aligning with the government's broader efficiency and cost-cutting measures, such as those recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency, which has significantly impacted federal research, workers and agencies. 'While the previous administration failed to conduct a thorough financial review before signing away billions of taxpayer dollars, the Trump administration is doing our due diligence to ensure we are utilizing taxpayer dollars to strengthen our national security, bolster affordable, reliable energy sources and advance projects that generate the highest possible return on investment,' Wright said in Friday's statement. Moreover, the announcement marks the latest of the administration's attacks on clean energy, broadly, and its effort to slash federal support for projects addressing climate change. The Trump administration has taken an ax to Biden-era environmental ambitions, rolled back landmark regulations, withdrawn climate project funding, and instead bolstered support for oil and gas production in the name of an 'American energy dominance' agenda. Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, called the news 'shortsighted.' Carbon capture has been a controversial climate solution , as skeptics say it enables the continued burning of fossil fuels oil, coal and natural gas that emit planet-warming greenhouse gases — including carbon dioxide — and distracts from the need to cut ties with those energy sources altogether. Though investment in the technology has grown, it also remains challenging to scale. Organizations quickly decried the secretary's actions, stressing that the cancelations don't align with the administration's goals to bolster domestic manufacturing or energy independence. Jessie Stolark, the executive director of the nonpartisan Carbon Capture Coalition, said the news 'is a major step backward' for carbon management technologies, which are 'crucial to meeting America's growing demand for affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy.' 'These projects are not just reducing pollution, they are keeping the U.S. on the cutting edge of manufacturing technology,' said Mike Williams, senior fellow on the energy and environment team at public policy and advocacy group the Center for American Progress. 'Canceling these important projects will raise energy prices for consumers and sacrifice thousands of high-quality union jobs, all because the president wants to curry favor with Big Oil.' Evan Gillespie, partner at decarbonization organization, Industrious Labs, said the move dismantles the economy and the future of American manufacturing and its workforce. 'Killing these projects means more emissions, more pollution, and more people getting sick,' he said. ___ Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn . Reach her at . ___ Read more of AP's climate coverage at ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
The Department of Energy axes $3.7 billion in clean energy project grants
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Friday he canceled nearly $4 billion in project grants, in another massive blow to clean energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts in the U.S. under President Donald Trump 's administration. The grants, largely awarded during former President Joe Biden 's final few months in the White House, were primarily for programs to capture carbon emissions and store them underground. Other targeted efforts span cleaner cement, natural gas and more. Some of the 24 canceled awards include $500 million to Heidelberg Materials US, Inc.; $375 million to Eastman Chemical Company; $95 million to Nevada Gold Mines, LLC; and $270 million to Sutter CCUS, among others, according to a list provided by the Department of Energy. Sublime Systems, which lost an $87 million grant, was 'surprised and disappointed,' the company said in a statement. 'Today's action is bad for U.S. competitiveness in the global market and also directly contradictory to the administration's stated goals of supporting energy production and environmental innovation,' said Conrad Schneider, a senior director at the Clean Air Task Force. It 'undercuts U.S. competitiveness at a time when there is a growing global market for cleaner industrial products and technologies.' The news was a swift follow-up to plans the Energy Department announced earlier this month to review 179 funded projects, totaling over $15 billion, that were awarded by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations created under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. It is part of Wright's pledge to ensure 'responsible' spending — aligning with the government's broader efficiency and cost-cutting measures, such as those recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency, which has significantly impacted federal research, workers and agencies. 'While the previous administration failed to conduct a thorough financial review before signing away billions of taxpayer dollars, the Trump administration is doing our due diligence to ensure we are utilizing taxpayer dollars to strengthen our national security, bolster affordable, reliable energy sources and advance projects that generate the highest possible return on investment," Wright said in Friday's statement. Moreover, the announcement marks the latest of the administration's attacks on clean energy, broadly, and its effort to slash federal support for projects addressing climate change. The Trump administration has taken an ax to Biden-era environmental ambitions, rolled back landmark regulations, withdrawn climate project funding, and instead bolstered support for oil and gas production in the name of an 'American energy dominance' agenda. Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, called the news 'shortsighted.' Carbon capture has been a controversial climate solution, as skeptics say it enables the continued burning of fossil fuels oil, coal and natural gas that emit planet-warming greenhouse gases — including carbon dioxide — and distracts from the need to cut ties with those energy sources altogether. Though investment in the technology has grown, it also remains challenging to scale. Industry decries the news Organizations quickly decried the secretary's actions, stressing that the cancelations don't align with the administration's goals to bolster domestic manufacturing or energy independence. Jessie Stolark, the executive director of the nonpartisan Carbon Capture Coalition, said the news 'is a major step backward" for carbon management technologies, which are 'crucial to meeting America's growing demand for affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy.' 'These projects are not just reducing pollution, they are keeping the U.S. on the cutting edge of manufacturing technology," said Mike Williams, senior fellow on the energy and environment team at public policy and advocacy group the Center for American Progress. "Canceling these important projects will raise energy prices for consumers and sacrifice thousands of high-quality union jobs, all because the president wants to curry favor with Big Oil.' Evan Gillespie, partner at decarbonization organization, Industrious Labs, said the move dismantles the economy and the future of American manufacturing and its workforce. 'Killing these projects means more emissions, more pollution, and more people getting sick,' he said. ___ Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ___ ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
