Trump Presses US Refiners to Boost Fuel Output at White House Meeting
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President Donald Trump pressed US oil refiners to boost domestic gasoline and diesel production during a closed-door White House meeting Tuesday. The discussion focused on regulatory changes, faster permitting, and additional investments to lower pump prices. The meeting came as US gasoline averages more than $4 a gallon and diesel nearly $6, the highest seasonal level ever, according to AAA.
Key Facts
- US gasoline averages more than $4 a gallon and diesel nearly $6 a gallon, the highest seasonal level ever, according to AAA.
- Roughly a dozen executives from fuel refining and distribution companies attended the meeting, including leaders from Delek US Holdings, PBF Energy, Marathon Petroleum, and Valero Energy.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who heads the National Energy Dominance Council, were present at the session.
- Refining executives criticized the administration's record-high biofuel-blending quotas under the Renewable Fuel Standard, calling them unattainable and a driver of higher gasoline costs.
White House Meeting
President Donald Trump pressed US oil refiners to boost domestic production of gasoline and diesel during a closed-door meeting Tuesday. Trump asked executives how to increase refining capacity and made clear he wants lower gas prices at the pump, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The discussion touched on regulatory changes, faster permitting, and additional investments, the official said. Roughly a dozen executives from fuel refining and distribution companies joined Trump in the White House Cabinet Room, followed by a quick visit to the Oval Office. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who heads Trump's National Energy Dominance Council, were in the session alongside other officials.
Biofuel Mandate Dispute
The gathering was dominated by talk about the Renewable Fuel Standard, the federal law that compels refiners to blend corn-based ethanol, soy-based biodiesel, and other alternative fuels into gasoline and diesel. Industry representatives took aim at the administration's decision to set record-high biofuel-blending quotas, with some casting the targets as unattainable and describing them as driving up gasoline costs. Some refining executives used the hour-long meeting to argue that quotas compelling them to mix alternative fuels into gasoline are raising pump prices, according to people familiar with the conversation.
Market Pressure
US fuel prices are at the highest seasonal level ever, with gasoline now fetching more than $4 a gallon and diesel nearly $6 a gallon on average nationwide, according to the American Automobile Association. The face-to-face pressure highlighted the political peril for a president who campaigned on reining in energy costs only to see them spiral amid the US war on Iran. Trump contends with high prices and mounting cost-of-living concerns before November's midterm elections.
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Trump Presses US Refiners to Boost Fuel Output at White House Meeting
