U.S. senators reintroduced a bipartisan bill on Thursday that would allow nationwide sales of gasoline with a higher blend of ethanol year-round, a plan that has the support of a leading oil trade group. Senator Deb Fischer, a Republican from Nebraska, introduced the bill with senators including Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, and said...
Low-Energy Fridays: Do we want energy independence or energy security?
President Donald J. Trump recently announced tariffs on imports, which will cover energy commodities like oil and gas to a certain extent. At a glance, this policy may appear to advance “energy independence,” an agenda Trump favored on the campaign trail—but it’s not quite so simple. Defenders of tariffs on energy would point out that they will reduce...
Chairman Capito Questions CCUS Leaders on USE IT Act Implementation, CCUS Project Permitting
Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led a hearing on advancing carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) technologies, and examining the implementation of the Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies Act or USE IT Act. During the hearing, Chairman Capito questioned Kevin Connors, Assistant Director for Regulatory...
Our Energy Crisis Has a Nuclear Solution
America faces an energy crisis. With skyrocketing energy demand and threats of increased blackouts, we’re left with question after question—but nuclear energy may just offer some answers. As promised, President Trump has already embarked on his mission to make the U.S. energy-dominant. To do this, he’s begun work on several key initiatives that will drastically improve...
Bipartisan groups in Congress introduce bill to protect strategic petroleum reserve
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a bill to limit, not prohibit, the sale of crude oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The Banning SPR Oil Exports to Foreign Adversaries Act was filed in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, John Fetterman, D-Penn., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich. U.S. Reps. Chrissy...
The United States Can Beat China on Solar
China dominates solar power supply chains, but the era of American energy dominance could change that. Recent domestic manufacturing investments in the solar industry have totaled more than $40 billion since 2022, further unleashing the industry’s potential here at home. Solar has firmly cemented itself as a key part of our all-of-the-above energy strategy and has steadily grown in...
Energy and Environment Priorities for 2025
In a new white paper, Philip Rossetti and I argue that a policy agenda built on freedom, innovation, security, and transparency will supply families and businesses with affordable, reliable energy. It will also result in a more prosperous, secure America and a cleaner planet.
Secretary Wright Acts to “Unleash Golden Era of American Energy Dominance”
As Secretary of Energy, it is an immense privilege to serve alongside each of you at such a consequential moment in American history. Energy is the essential ingredient that enables everything we do. A highly energized society can bring health, wealth, and opportunity for all. At the Department, we have an opportunity to promote energy...
Low-Energy Fridays: Does climate policy matter?
Put another way, while productivity gains in the economy reduce emissions by letting us consume more with fewer inputs, the taxes and regulations that accompany climate policies carry a “deadweight loss” that trades productivity improvement for direct emission abatement. This creates a tradeoff typically not included in analysis and potentially explains why having many regulations...
DOE to focus on expanding baseload generation: Secretary Wright
The U.S. Department of Energy will focus on growing baseload and dispatchable generation to meet growing electricity demand, DOE Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday in an order outlining the department’s priorities under the Trump administration. “We must … permit and build energy infrastructure and remove barriers to progress, including federal policies that make it too easy to stop...