Bad Deal: Doug Burgum’s Fake Energy Deal Means Higher Prices For Americans

Unprecedented One Billion Dollar Taxpayer Giveaway Part of Burgum’s Losing Energy Agenda Costing American Families

HELENA, MT – Interior Secretary Doug Burgum appeared on Fox News late last week to spin the Trump administration’s energy crisis, claiming his “energy dominance” agenda is delivering “the lowest energy prices in the world right now.” This comes as Americans across the country are paying an average of almost $4.00 for a gallon of regular gas and $5.00 for diesel. It also comes after the administration announced it would pay French energy corporation TotalEnergies one billion dollars to cancel their plans for an offshore wind farm, using those tax dollars for an already planned liquified natural gas project. 

The New York Times rightfully characterized Burgum’s one billion dollar handout as “an extraordinary transfer of taxpayer dollars to a foreign company for the purposes of boosting the production of fossil fuels, a main driver of climate change, while throttling offshore wind power.” But the expansion of liquified natural gas production was already planned, financed, and announced by the international energy company last year.

“No one is buying what Doug Burgum is selling. This administration and Burgum promised Americans they’d bring down the cost of living on day one. Instead, they’ve only delivered higher gas and electrical prices for working families. The icing on top of paying more for less under Burgum is giving a foreign corporation one billion taxpayer dollars to cancel the development of cheaper, cleaner energy,” said Save Our Parks spokesperson Jayson O’Neill. “Let’s be clear: Burgum just gave a one billion dollar taxpayer handout to a privately-owned foreign corporation to defray the construction costs on their already planned LNG expansion. Burgum’s mismanagement is costing us now, and will be for years to come.”

In a press release issued by TotalEnergies, Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné acknowledged the one billion dollars would help finance the construction of the Rio Grande LNG plant expansion. The French energy company previously announced it had reached a final investment decision with its partner, NextDecade, in the Rio Grande LNG expansion project in September of last year. In the announcement, the company noted the investment in the fourth train would add approximately 6 million tons per annum (Mtpa), bringing the total production to approximately 24 Mtpa by 2030. The Interior Department’s announcement noted TotalEnergies would invest $928 million in the development of Train 1 to 4 of Rio Grande LNG plant in Texas.

Burgum’s counterpart, Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright, said gas prices won’t go back down until the middle of next year, all part of Donald Trump and Burgum’s losing energy agenda that will make everyday Americans more vulnerable to price spikes for years to come.

To speak with Save Our Parks spokesperson Jayson O’Neill, email jayson@focalpointstrategygroup.com. 

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