Energy Secretary: U.S. will expand energy exports, not impose export ban; domestic moves aim to ease gas prices

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told a broadcast interviewer that the administration is not considering a ban on energy exports and that the United States is instead expanding sales of oil and natural gas abroad. "Absolutely not. Absolutely not," he said when asked whether an export ban was being considered, adding that he was in Dubrovnik, Croatia, "signing multi-billion dollar deals to sell American energy exports."

On gasoline prices, which the program noted are "above $4 a gallon," Wright said the administration has taken steps to increase refinery throughput, citing a Jones Act waiver and relaxed EPA blending requirements for the summer season. He said those measures are intended to allow refineries to produce more gasoline and that higher utilization improves refinery efficiency and helps push prices down.

Wright criticized states that did not adopt the federal EPA flexibility by name, saying California and New York would continue to see higher prices because they did not go along with the policy. He framed broader U.S. energy policy as increasing production and exports to support allies and domestic consumers, asserting that American oil production and exports are at record highs.

The interview mixed market and geopolitical arguments: Wright argued that continued exports keep refinery utilization high and raise overall efficiency, which, in his view, helps moderate prices domestically and abroad. He did not provide specific projected price impacts or a timeline for when consumers would see changes beyond the general expectation that increased throughput will exert downward pressure.