The Trump administration is preparing to break ground on the first newly constructed U.S. oil refinery in decades, Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced Sunday, part of a coordinated effort with European allies and domestic refiners to drive down diesel prices for American families and businesses.
In a video posted by the White House Rapid Response team, Secretary Wright outlined the administration's strategy. "We have many efforts to bring diesel prices down," he said. "We've been working with our allies in Europe to release diesel stores. They have excess diesel stores. We've worked with our refineries to expand their capacity."
The centerpiece of the announcement: new refinery construction on American soil. "We're about to launch the first refinery constructed in this country in decades," Wright declared.
President Trump's Daily Focus on Energy Supply
Wright credited President Trump with driving the effort. "We're doing all sorts of things to grow energy production. President Trump, every day, is figuring out how to increase energy supply," he said.
The announcement signals a reversal of years of declining U.S. refining capacity, as environmental regulations and shifting demand led to closures rather than new construction. The last major new U.S. refinery was built in the 1970s.
