US President Donald Trump highlighted American fuel and coal exports but made no mention of renewable sources in a speech Thursday closing out the administration’s “energy week”.
Trump, who sought to use the week to focus on his energy policy, touted his decisions to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, scrap the Clean Power Plan and approve both the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. He blamed his predecessors for holding back the energy sector through excessive regulation.
“[America’s] full potential can only be realised when government promotes energy development… instead of obstructing it, like the Democrats,” Trump said.
The president’s speech comes two days after Secretary of Energy Rick Perry kicked off the week with a press conference discussing the administration’s policy during the first six months of Trump’s term in office. But while Perry touched on many of the same themes, the former governor also stressed the government’s support for renewable energy, saying that the administration believed in an “all of the above” strategy. Trump, who a week before criticised wind energy at a rally in Iowa, said nothing about renewables during his most recent address.
On Thursday Trump said he hoped to revive the nuclear sector, echoing a theme of Perry’s remarks. He noted that he instructed the treasury department to address barriers to financing coal energy plants overseas, and stressed opportunities for energy exports to Mexico and South Korea. And he promised to open opportunities for offshore drilling.
“The golden era of American energy is now underway,” Trump concluded.
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