April 29 marks Donald Trump’s 100 day in the Oval Office.
Energy Voice has been talking to the US industry to get a better insight into what is happening across the pond. Over the coming days we will be bringing you several features looking at what impact the New York business magnate’s had on the energy industry so far
During this first 100 days Trump has issued more executive orders and memoranda than any president since Franklin D. Roosevelt – many relating to the future of the nation’s growing energy needs.
Even before he took the presidential oath, Trump signalled his intent to put fossil fuels back at the beating heart of the American economy.
Former ExxonMobil boss Rex Tillerson is now Secretary of State. Ex-Texas governor Rick Perry heads up the Department of Energy while climate change denier Scott Pruitt is in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency.
A climate change action page on the White House website has disappeared.
The Dakota and Keystone pipeline XL plans have been resuscitated.
After eight years of Obama’s pro-green policies, the American oil and gas industry is back in black.
Trump has spent his first 100 days in the Oval Office tearing up his predecessor’s pro-renewables legacy.
And as a business tycoon and self professed ‘dealmaker’ his non-nonsense approach is making waves not just off North Korea but closer to home.
From the shale rich Permian basin to the heights of California’s Mojave Wind Farm by way of every ‘pumpjack’ in Texas, ‘The Donald’ is making his presence known.
During his election campaign his blunt energy policy appealed to the thousands of souls who work in the industry.
The first 100 days have been used as a benchmark since the prolific times of Roosevelt to judge the new commander in chief on his progress.
Last week Trump tweeted that it was a “ridiculous” standard to be held to.
But without a doubt, after years of stagnation – including a global price plunge – President Trump has turned the Texas taps back on and lit the fourth of July fireworks early.
Trump’s energy policy in 140 characters or less:
• 4/5/12 – Tweeted – “In the 1920’s people were worried about global cooling–it never happened. Now it’s global warming. Give me a break!”
• 1/11/12 – Tweeted – “Let’s continue to destroy the competitiveness of our factories & manufacturing so we can fight mythical global warming. China is so happy!”
• 6/11/12 – Tweeted – “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive’”
• 27/11/16 – Trump’s “default position” is that climate change “is a bunch of bunk”- Reince Priebus (Spokesman)
• 20/1/17 – Climate change pages/references removed from Government websites.
• 24/1/17 – “Environmentalism is out of control” – told Ford, General Motors and Fiat CEOs. Added “We want regulations but we want real regulations that mean something.
“We’re going to make the process much more simple for the auto companies and everybody else who wants to do business in the United States
• 20/3/17 – Trump pledges executive actions that will “save our coal industry.” – campaign style rally, Kentucky, with promise to bring back coal jobs.
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