“To ensure we maintain this dominant position long into the future … my administration is announcing today that export authorizations for American liquefied natural gas can now be extended through the year 2050.”
“Today, I’m taking another bold action to support energy jobs in Texas. In a few moments, I will sign four critical permits, granting approval to vital pipeline and railway infrastructure on our nation’s border.”
Last week, President Trump got back on the energy trail (see previous energy-related talks here, here, here, here, and here) with a speech at Double Eagle Energy in Midland, Texas. Some highlights of his talk follow:
“Thanks to the hardworking citizens like you, the United States of America is now the number one energy superpower anywhere in the world. So, congratulations.”
“We’re here today to celebrate your incredible achievements. We’re also here to send a clear message to the zealots, radicals, and extremists trying to shut down your industry and to make America subservient to foreign producers. That won’t happen to this nation again.”
“It took a long time to be independent. And as long as I’m your President, we will never let anyone put American energy out of business, which is what they’d like to do.”
“We will never again be reliant on hostile foreign suppliers. We will defend your jobs and … America’s newfound energy independence.”
“Under the last administration, America’s energy industry was under relentless and unceasing attack…. But on the day I took the Oath of Office, we ended the war on American energy, and we stopped the far-left assault on American energy workers.”
“I withdrew from the one-sided, energy-destroying Paris Climate Accord. It was a disaster. It cost us billions of dollars, and it would have made us a noncompetitive nation.”
“We cancelled the Obama administration’s job-crushing Clean Power Plan. You know all about that.”
“I approved the Keystone XL and the Dakota Access pipelines immediately upon assuming office.”
“We opened up ANWR in Alaska to energy exploration, ended the moratorium on coal leasing on federal lands, and reopened public lands and offshore areas to oil and gas exploration.”
“We unlocked the full energy potential of Texas and New Mexico. And New Mexico — we’re proud that we’ve been here.”
“And since my election, oil and gas production in the Permian Basin has more than doubled. Under the Trump administration, the United States has increased oil production by 3.1 million barrels per day. That’s some number. Never been anything like that number.”
“For the first time in nearly 70 years, we have become a net energy exporter. And the United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas on the face of the Earth.”
“To ensure we maintain this dominant position long into the future … my administration is announcing today that export authorizations for American liquefied natural gas can now be extended through the year 2050.”
“At the same time, we’re strongly protecting our environment. Air pollution is down significantly since I took office. While other countries are polluting the world’s air and oceans, we will never cease to be a leader in protecting our natural environment. And that’s what’s happening. People don’t know that about us. We love our environment.”
“Under my administration, the United States will continue to have among the cleanest air and cleanest water anywhere on Earth, and that’s what we have.”
“Thanks to our pro-American energy policies, we’re also taking jobs and factories away from countries with poor environmental standards, such as China, and bringing jobs back to America where they belong.”
“Before the invisible enemy struck our shores, we created 800,000 new energy jobs — a third of them in Texas. That was just the new jobs; add on to that millions of other jobs.”
“After the China virus struck, we implemented historic economic relief. When oil crashed, I got Saudi Arabia, Russia, and others to cut nearly 10 million barrels a day, and got OPEC Plus and Mexico to agree to the deal. And hence, we’re okay now. We’re back. We’re back.”
“… we were very close to losing a very powerful, great industry. And we did a job…. And now we’re back, and now we’re just going to keep expanding.”
“And I want to thank, frankly, Saudi Arabia. I want to thank Russia. I want to thank Mexico. And I want to thank OPEC, as they call it, Plus. It’s called OPEC Plus. That’s OPEC plus a lot of other countries. But they all came together and they did a job on the industry, and we — we appreciate everybody’s help.”
“This action stabilized world oil prices that had been in a freefall, and saved millions of energy jobs, and frankly, it saved your industry. Four months ago, people were very, very concerned about that industry. And now it’s just going to be a question of how fast will you put people on.” …
“I only wish he bought it when the oil was selling for zero, and they paid you $37 in addition. You get a barrel, plus 37. I said, “Dan, why didn’t you make that deal?” I would have loved that. But you did well.”
“Today, I’m taking another bold action to support energy jobs in Texas. In a few moments, I will sign four critical permits, granting approval to vital pipeline and railway infrastructure on our nation’s border.”
“This will include two permits allowing the export of Texas crude to Mexico — a giant victory for the workers of this state that you’ve been after for many years. Right? You’ve been after that one for many years. I said, ‘What do I know about it? If you want to do it, it’s okay with me.’ And we’re doing it, so that’s been a long time in the making.”
“While my administration is fighting for workers like you, the radical left — have you ever heard of the radical left, Brian? You don’t want to hear about them. You don’t want to know about them — is fighting to abolish American energy, destroy the oil and gas industries, and wipe out your jobs.”
“Washington Democrats have embraced Representative Ocasio- Cortez’s nearly $100 trillion Green New Deal disaster — I’ve added the fourth word; it’s a “disaster” — which would ban oil and gas leasing on all federal lands. And, by the way, there’d be no fracking.”
“So let me ask you, Mr. Governor, how do you think that works in Texas? No fracking, no drilling, no oil. Is that okay? Good. I don’t think Biden is going to do too well in Texas. He’s already written it off. It’s gone. No fracking. That’s part of his platform.”
“If these far-left politicians ever get into power, they will demolish not only your industry, but the entire U.S. economy. Their stated agenda includes rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, spending billions and billions of dollars in order to make us non-competitive and seeking an even higher level of restrictions; mandating net-zero carbon emissions — which, frankly, is impossible — for all new homes, offices, and buildings by 230[2030]. Not possible to do. And if you ever did it, it would cost so much that your home would be valueless.
“This would cause the cost of construction to skyrocket and effectively end the use of natural gas in homes because it would be an impossible situation. They’re asking for things, just so you understand, that are impossible.”
“I don’t know — I haven’t checked recently: What have they done with cows? Remember, there were going to be no more cows and no more cattle. I think they might have left that one off the manifesto, but it’ll be back.”
“Their platform calls for mandating zero-carbon emissions from power plants by 2035. In other words, no drilling, no fracking, no coal, no shale, no gas, no oil; otherwise, they’ve been very good to the industry, I think.”
“You got to be careful. You know, people don’t take it seriously. If they got in, you will have no more energy coming out of the great state of Texas, out of New Mexico, out of anywhere — Oklahoma, North Dakota. Name them. Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania does a lot. People don’t realize that. A lot. It would throw Pennsylvania, Ohio — so many other places. You don’t realize how big it is. They want to have no fracking, no nothing.”
“The policies required to implement this extreme agenda would mean the death of American prosperity and the end of the American middle class…. It would destroy our country. I used to say, “Would become another Venezuela.” Same ideology. You would become another Venezuela.”
“Venezuela used to be one of the richest in the world, per capita, and period, one of the richest in the world — among the largest oil reserves. Now they don’t have water, they don’t have medicine, they don’t have food. You got a lot of oil; it doesn’t matter. Doesn’t seem to matter. They don’t have anything. And that can happen to us.” …
“The U.S. energy industry would grind to a halt, and every single energy-producing state would be plunged into a depression. Two million jobs would vanish overnight in just the state of Texas alone. And I think the number is probably, Greg, a lot higher than 2 million. Millions more would disappear in New Mexico and Ohio and Colorado and Pennsylvania.”
“By imposing these punishing restrictions — and beyond restrictions — the Washington radical-left, crazy Democrats would also send countless American jobs, factories, industries to China and to other foreign polluting states. They want us to take care of our air, but China doesn’t take care of its air.”
“In all fairness, India doesn’t take care of its air. Russia doesn’t take care of its air. But we do. Not on my watch, it’s not going to happen — I can tell you that. Because as long as I’m President, we will always put America first…. For years and years, we put other countries first, and we now put America first.”
“As we have seen in cities and towns across our nation, it’s not just Texas oil that the radical Democrats want to destroy; they want to destroy our country.” ….
“Generations of Texas oil workers before you gave every last bit of sweat and heart and grit that they had to build up this country. They loved our country. They loved our country so much, they couldn’t breathe. Their pride and devotion helped raise up America’s cities, power our factories, propel our industries, sustain our families, supply our military, and fuel America’s rise into the strongest, wealthiest, and greatest nation the world has ever known.” ….
“Now it’s your turn to help lead our nation to even greater heights. Today, we give thanks for each and every one of you, and we are telling the Washington politicians trying to abolish American energy: Don’t mess with Texas.”
“So on behalf of every American energy worker, I will now sign these very important permits that your governor and your senators have been after me for a long time to sign. And they’ve been after a lot of other presidents to sign them, but they never were able to get it done. But we got it done, and we got it done for a great state called Texas.”