Donald Trump

Faithful to his campaign commitment, President Trump initiated a U.S. departure from the Paris Climate Agreement in June of 2017. The Paris Agreement is an international agreement that seeks to shift the entire world to “net-zero” carbon emissions by 2050. By reversing his predecessor’s executive order committing the U.S. to the global emissions scheme, Trump restored U.S. sovereignty over its own energy policy and reasserted America’s position as a policy leader. The Paris Agreement was an America-last deal that gave China the mandate to continue its industrial expansions as the U.S. would have tightened its belt. Exiting the scheme restored balance to global politics, particularly with regard to the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China.

It is notable that even after President Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement the United States lead all countries in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, while other countries are having a hard time meeting their commitments to the Paris accord.

Striving towards net-zero will demand significant and transformative shifts in our energy systems.  The considerable strides the U.S. has already taken in reducing CO2 emissions, which stand as a global benchmark, represent a fraction of the necessary effort.  The nation would need to rapidly and remarkably reshape its energy landscape, accompanied by substantial upswings in mineral extraction.  This could inflict serious harm on the economy. Moreover, even with these endeavors, achieving net-zero hinges upon questionable assumptions and forecasts about forthcoming technology and behavior, making it a highly improbable short-term objective.

President Trump is right to reject these risky and destructive policies that would put America last while letting competitors like China have a free hand in utilizing their energy resources to their full potential.

During President Trump’s first term in office, the Unites States has become the world’s preeminent energy super power. The U.S. now produces more oil and gas than any other country, runs an energy export surplus, and has reserves that can fuel us for generations. In January 2020 the U.S. produced 13 million barrels per day of oil—an all-time record. Over the full course of 2019, the U.S. exported oil to more than 40 countries, fully eliminating the long-held concern about foreign oil dependency.

Though the coronavirus pandemic battered the industry in the spring of 2020, President Trump held firm against calls to raise prices on struggling consumers by way of an import tariff. Oil prices have rebounded as economies across the globe have begun to restart and the industry is on a road to recovery.

Since Trump’s election in 2016, U.S. natural gas has become a key plank in America’s foreign policy posture, offering countries in Eastern Europe an alternative to Russia’s regional energy hegemony in the form of liquified natural gas (LNG). Trump’s commitment to the bountiful energy reservoirs on U.S. federal lands and in federal waters means companies can plan for the long term and supply our energy needs deep into the future.

President Trump has wisely scaled the federal fuel economy program to levels that prioritize the needs of American families along with environmental concerns. Trump’s Safer Affordable Fuel Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles rule, delivered in the spring of 2020, provides for gradually rising fuel economy—not the costly, impossible-to-meet, and dangerous standards set by the Obama administration. Trump’s fuel economy policy adheres to federal law and aims toward one national standard, rather than a piece-meal or California-centric standard. This policy saves families thousands of dollars on new and used cars and puts them back in the driver’s seat on vehicle choice.

President Trump and his State Department have given full support to the Keystone XL pipeline that would enter the country from Canada and deliver North American oil to Gulf Coast refineries.

The two Trump appointees to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, ruled with the majority of justices to end the ridiculous keep-it-in-the-ground campaign against pipelines in Appalachia.

President Trump’s Department of Energy has prioritized grid reliability and security. In 2017 the department issued a landmark report highlighting the immense importance of reliable, baseload electricity sources and the risks of a plunge toward intermittent energy.