API hopes to ‘free American energy’ with Trump victory

The American Petroleum Institute (API) was quick to applaud Donald Trump’s re-election as president of the United States on Wednesday, while clean energy activists responded by saying the momentum was on their side.

“We congratulate President Trump on his election victory. There was energy on the ballot and voters sent a clear signal that they want choice, not mandates, and a comprehensive approach that leverages our nation’s resources and builds on the successes of his first term,” API President and CEO. CEO Mike Sommers said in a statement from the group.

“We look forward to working with the new administration and leaders of both parties to advance bipartisan solutions that will unleash American energy as a driver of economic prosperity, environmental progress and stability around the world,” added a statement on API’s website. The group lobbies all segments of the oil and gas industry.

Sommers, however, acknowledged uncertainty about the industry’s fate regardless of which side of the political aisle.

“However, even in the 11th hour of the presidential campaign, there are some unanswered questions about the role of natural gas and oil in America’s future energy balance,” the API president wrote in a DV Journal op-ed before Election Day. “It’s time for clarity, not confusion.”

“Should Washington dictate what new cars and trucks Americans can drive—a reality under EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) tailpipe regulations and new fuel economy standards?” Sommers asked. “When will Washington fully end the ongoing freeze on permitting projects to export liquefied natural gas? If fracking is to be curbed, as some have suggested — to curb production of American natural gas and oil amid rising demand — where will it be produced?”

Climate advocates, on the other hand, have expressed concern that Trump’s return would derail progress.

“Donald Trump was a disaster for climate progress during his first term, and everything he’s said and done since suggests he’s bent on doing even more damage this time around,” Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jelows said in a group statement. statement

In a statement, the Sierra Club recalled that it had filed more than 300 lawsuits against the previous Trump administration and said it would continue to be a “force of nature.”

“It’s a dark day, but despite this election result, the momentum is on our side,” Jealous added. “The transition from dirty fossil fuels to affordable clean energy is already underway.

“Trump cannot change the reality that the vast majority of Americans want more clean energy, not more fossil fuels. We’re creating millions of new clean energy jobs with investments in the Inflation Reduction Act.”

“Clean energy is already cheaper in most cases than dirty fossil fuels, and wind and solar now generate more energy in the US than coal,” Jealous states.

Dan Lashoff, director of the US World Resources Institute (WRI), said: “There is no denying that the next Trump presidency will halt national efforts to address the climate crisis and protect the environment, but the majority of US state, local and private sector leaders are determined to , to charge forward.”

“And you can count on a chorus of world leaders to confirm that they will not back down from climate and nature goals,” Lashoff said in a statement on the WRI website.

“Donald Trump’s return to the White House will not be the death knell for the clean energy transition that has been gaining momentum over the past four years. Both Republican-led and Democratic-led states are seeing the benefits of wind, solar and battery production and deployment thanks to the billions of dollars in investment freed up by the bipartisan infrastructure and deflation law.”

“Trump has every reason to rely on the transformations that are already taking place. Electrification of buildings and transportation, including school buses, benefits both rural and urban communities by reducing costs and increasing efficiency,” Lashof added. “At the same time, America’s farmlands, wetlands and forests are in desperate need of additional investment to protect them from increased wildfires, droughts and floods.”

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