Trump vows to reduce energy costs with his latest cabinet picks

“With U.S. Energy Dominance, we will drive down Inflation, win the A.l. arms race with China (and others), and expand American Diplomatic Power to end Wars all across the World.”

With his latest cabinet nominations, President-elect Donald Trump promised to bring down the cost Americans pay for energy by expanding oil and gas production.

Trump named North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as secretary of the Interior as well as chairman of “the newly formed, and very important, National Energy Council.”

“As Chairman of the National Energy Council, Doug will have a seat on the National Security Council,” Trump said in a statement. “As Secretary of the Interior, Doug will be a key leader in ushering in a new ‘Golden Age of American Prosperity’ and World Peace. ‘

“We will ’DRILL BABY DRILL,’ expand ALL forms of Energy production to grow our Economy, and create good-paying jobs,” he added. “By smartly utilizing our amazing National Assets, we will preserve and protect our most beautiful places, AND reduce our deficits and our debt!”

Trump said the new energy council will involve all parts of the federal government dealing with energy.

“This Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation,” Trump said. “With U.S. Energy Dominance, we will drive down Inflation, win the A.l. arms race with China (and others), and expand American Diplomatic Power to end Wars all across the World.”

As part of his Burgum pick and his nomination of fracking entrepreneur Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy, Trump promised to get energy prices down.

“We will also undo the damage done by the Democrats to our Nation’s Electrical Grid, by dramatically increasing baseload power,” Trump said.

Trump also named William Owen Scharf as assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary.

So far, Trump has pointed to the loyalty of his choices, saying how they endorsed him or helped him win reelection when announcing them as his choices.

“Will is a highly skilled attorney who will be a crucial part of my White House team. He has played a key role in defeating the Election Interference and Lawfare waged against me, including by winning the Historic Immunity Decision in the Supreme Court.”

Trump followed his electoral win with a flurry of cabinet picks, some expected and some that are sure to stir things up.

In particular, Trump’s picks of Robert F Kennedy Jr to lead the Department of Health and Human services, veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead the Secretary of Defense, and former Congressman Matt Gaetz to lead the Department of Justice have sparked headlines.

More picks are on the way as Trump has to fill out positions across the federal government.

Whether Trump can get the Senate to confirm his nominees, especially the more controversial picks, remains to be seen.

Trump’s list of nominees so far include:

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior.
William Owen Scharf as Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of U.S. Health and Human Services
Former Congresswoman and veteran Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence.
Former Congressman Doug Collins as Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Jay Clayton as Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Former congressman Matt Gaetz for Attorney General.
Veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.
Veteran and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as Secretary of State.
Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan as “border czar.”
Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Former Congresswoman and current governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the “Department of Government Efficiency.
William Joseph McGinley as White House Counsel.
Steven C. Witkoff as Special Envoy to the Middle East.
Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla. as national security advisor.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. as ambassador to the U.N.
Dean John Sauer as Solicitor General.
Todd Blanche as Deputy Attorney General.
Emil Bove as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General.
Dan Scavino of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff.
Susie Wiles, co-chair of the Trump campaign, as White House Chief of Staff.
Stephen Miller as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor.
James Blair of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political and Public Affairs.
Taylor Budowich of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel.

Casey Harper

D.C. Bureau Reporter

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Alberta

Premier Danielle Smith In Washington for Trump Inauguration Promoting a New Era of Partnership with the U.S.

Published on January 19, 2025

Government of Alberta

Premier Smith at dinner with Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott. Facebook

Premier Danielle Smith will travel to Washington, D.C. to solidify Alberta as the answer to North American energy, food and data security during the week of President-elect Trump’s inauguration.

While in the U.S. capital from Jan. 18 to 23, Premier Smith will meet with key decision makers, governors, members of Congress and private sector leaders. Alberta’s on-the-ground presence will help build relationships and start critical conversations that will lay the groundwork for collaboration with the new U.S. administration and reap benefits for Albertans, Canadians and Americans.

Premier Smith will champion Alberta as the largest exporter of oil and gas to the U.S. and highlight the unprecedented opportunity that lies ahead for Alberta to work collaboratively with the new administration to develop secure supply chains and strengthen energy security for the U.S. and Canada. Alberta’s approximately USD $100 billion in energy exports to the U.S. are upgraded into USD $300 billion in value-added products by American workers at refineries in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and other states, and then sold by American companies all over the world.

“Given the serious threats of tariffs, it is imperative that we do everything we can to engage directly with the incoming administration, members of Congress and key officials to emphasize Alberta’s critical role in North American energy security and economic prosperity. In all my meetings and events in Washington, D.C. I will work to ensure Alberta is recognized as a partner of choice for establishing North American energy security, to reinforce our century-long friendship and to further solidify our trade relationship that greatly benefits both Americans and Canadians.”

Danielle Smith, Premier

This visit will build on the Premier’s previous discussions with the President-elect, key members of his cabinet and other elected officials. With the ongoing threat of tariffs on all Canadian products, including those from Alberta’s leading industries, meeting with officials face-to-face is crucial. This work is a continuation of the efforts that were discussed by all Premiers to do all they could to build bridges with the U.S.

Conversations will also focus on highlighting the deep economic ties that underpin our economies and how they contribute to creating jobs and prosperity on both sides of the border in industries like energy, agriculture, forestry, manufacturing and technology.

Premier Smith will travel with five staff members. Mission expenses will be posted on the travel and expense disclosure page.

Quick facts

The U.S. is Alberta’s largest trading partner and Alberta is the second-largest provincial exporter to the U.S.
In 2023, Alberta’s exports to the U.S. totalled USD $115.58 billion, accounting for about 90 per cent of total provincial exports in 2023.
- Energy products accounted for about USD $94.4 billion, or 82 per cent, of the province’s exports to the U.S.
- Other important export sectors included plastics, forestry, meat and machinery.
Alberta’s government has also launched the Alberta is the Answer campaign, a targeted advertisement campaign focused on reaching key decision makers in the U.S. and amplifying Alberta’s message on the energy partnership it has with the U.S. and how this partnership can grow.

Itinerary for Premier Smith*

Jan. 18	Travel to Washington, D.C. Engage with key U.S. decision makers at an event hosted by Florida.
Jan. 19	Meet with energy sector leaders. Engage with key U.S. decision makers at an event hosted by the Texas State Society.
Jan. 20	Attend the presidential inauguration on Capitol Hill. Participate in the Inauguration Day event at the Canadian Embassy. Engage with key U.S. decision makers and government officials at a Republican Governors’ Association event and evening reception.
Jan. 21	Meetings with U.S. governors and industry leaders. Participate in a round table discussion with thought leaders.
Jan. 22	Meetings with key U.S. decision makers and elected officials. Participate in a networking event focused on solutions for responsible energy development.
Jan. 23	Travel to Alberta.

Why Alberta?

Alberta is one of the most reliable and secure energy partners for the U.S.

Alberta and the U.S. share the same values – and a border. Alberta is the friendly, freedom-loving democracy right next door.

Alberta has the fourth largest oil reserves on earth, and significant natural gas resources. Alberta already accounts for 56% of all oil imports to the U.S. – twice as much as Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Iraq combined – which is helping to drive job creation and prosperity on both sides of the border. The U.S. must import crude oil in order to refine it and produce light oil, which they export around the world, and Alberta believes that we are a far better trading partner than Iran, Iraq, or Venezuela.

Alberta is also the largest producer of natural gas in Canada and remains positioned to support the U.S. in filling their domestic supply gaps, currently accounting for nearly 60% of U.S. total annual natural gas imports. The reliability and security of those imports cannot be understated.

Furthermore, Alberta has a stronger environmental record, stronger democratic institutions and stronger human rights standards than other energy producers.

This is a win-win relationship. Alberta’s approximately U.S. $100 billion in energy exports to the U.S. is upgraded into U.S. $300 billion in value-added products by American workers at refineries in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and other states, and then sold by American companies all over the world.

More than 450,000 kilometres of pipelines already link Canada and the U.S. – enough to circle the Earth 11 times. The province also has ambitions to double its oil production by 2050, and increase its pipeline capacity significantly. Enabling Alberta to export even more crude oil to the U.S. This will help the U.S. achieve global energy dominance and increase energy affordability for Americans.

Alberta is a global leader in responsible oil and gas production

Alberta is the top foreign supplier of energy products to the United States. Alberta has been a global leader in responsible energy production for decades, leveraging cutting-edge technologies that allow the province to continue increasing production while protecting our air, water, and land for generations to come.

Alberta is unapologetic in its goal to increase oil and gas production to meet the world’s basic needs and maintain the quality of life we all enjoy in North America. The province is doing so responsibly and will continue to lead the way with new technologies that support this ambition.

Reliable Alberta energy will fuel the technologies of the future

As the world becomes increasingly electrified, the need for reliable energy is growing and Alberta has the resources to meet that demand.

The province is home to world-class energy industry leaders with the expertise developers are looking for to find innovative solutions to meet their energy needs. Coupled with Alberta’s competitive power market structure, natural incentives for cost-savings and a government committed to reducing red tape, Alberta is a premier destination for AI data centres.

Alberta’s AI data centre strategy arose from a pressing need for AI data centres in North America – a need that is in fact global. With the rapid growth of AI and machine learning, global demand for data centre capacity is expected to triple by 2031.

Alberta is a trusted and safe partner of the U.S. that has the capacity and resources to support these data centres and ensure that U.S. companies remain on the forefront of AI technology and that the U.S. maintains its technology dominance.

Business

Our energy policies have made us more vulnerable to Trump’s tariffs

Published on January 19, 2025

Todayville

From the Fraser Institute

By Elmira Aliakbari and Jason Clemens

As Donald Trump, who will be sworn in as president on Monday, threatens to impose tariffs on Canadian exports including oil and natural gas, the calls from some Canadian politicians and analysts for greater energy trade diversification grow louder. However, these calls highlight a hard truth—Canada has repeatedly foregone opportunities to reduce our dependence on the United States by cancelling already approved pipelines and failing to approve new pipeline and LNG projects that could have increased our access to global markets.

The U.S. is not just Canada’s largest energy customer—it’s nearly our only customer. In 2023, 97 per cent of crude oil exports and virtually all natural gas exports were sent south of the border. This dependence on the U.S. for exports leaves Canadian producers and the Canadian economy exposed to policy shifts in Washington and even state capitals.

Consider Energy East, a pipeline proposed by TransCanada (now TC Energy) to transport oil from Alberta and Saskatchewan to refineries and export terminals in Atlantic Canada. The pipeline would have reduced Atlantic Canada’s reliance on imported oil and opened export markets for Canadian oil to Europe.

However, in 2017 the Trudeau government introduced new criteria for evaluating and approving major pipeline projects, and for the first time assessments included not only the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from constructing the pipeline but also emissions from producing and using the oil it would transport. Later that year, TransCanada suspended its application for the project, effectively cancelling it. The CEO of TransCanada blamed “changed circumstances” but many observers recognized it was a combination of the new regulations and opposition from Quebec, particularly the City of Montreal. Consequently, the refineries in Atlantic Canada continue to rely on imported oil.

A year earlier in 2016, the Trudeau government cancelled the already-approved Northern Gateway pipeline, which would have connected Alberta oil production with the west coast and created significant export opportunities to Asian markets.

Canada is even more dependent on the U.S. for natural gas exports than oil exports. In 2023, Canada exported approximately 84 billion cubic metres of natural gas—all to the U.S.—via 39 pipelines, again leaving producers in Canada vulnerable to U.S. policy changes.

Meanwhile, Canada currently has no operational infrastructure for exporting liquified natural gas (LNG). While LNG Canada, the country’s first LNG export terminal, is expected to become operational this year in British Columbia, it’s long overdue.

Indeed, several energy companies have cancelled or delayed high-profile LNG projects in Canada due largely to onerous regulations that make approvals uncertain or even unlikely, including the $36 billion Pacific NorthWest LNG project in 2017, the $9 billion Énergie Saguenay LNG project in 2020, Kitimat LNG in 2021 and East Coast Canada LNG in 2023.

This all adds up to a missed opportunity, as global demand for LNG increases. If governments in Canada allowed or even facilitated more development of LNG facilities, Canadian companies could supply high-demand regions such as Asia and Europe. Indeed, during Europe’s 2022 energy crisis, Germany and several other countries turned to Canada for reliable LNG supply, but the Trudeau government rejected the requests.

The contrast with the U.S. is stark. Since 2011, 18 LNG export facilities have been proposed in Canada but only one—LNG Canada Phase 1—is nearing completion, more than 12 years after it was announced. Meanwhile, as of January 2025, the U.S. has built eight LNG export terminals and approved 20 more, securing its position as a global LNG leader.

Years of inaction and regulatory roadblocks have left Canadian energy producers overly dependent on a single trading partner and vulnerable to shifting U.S. policies. The looming threat of tariffs should be a wake-up call. To secure its energy future, Canada must address the regulatory barriers that have long hindered progress and prioritize the development of infrastructure to connect our energy resources to global markets.