Trump announces Taiwan’s plans to buy US gas

Trump announces Taiwan’s plans to buy US gas

President Trump announced Tuesday that Taiwan has agreed to purchase 30 percent of gas from the Alaska pipeline over the next 20 years.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Wasilla, Alaska, Trump said Taiwan will invest $4.4 billion into the project on top of $50 billion already committed by South Korea.

The president was quick to credit incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who is facing a competitive election bid, with the announcement.

“I have to say that Dan Sullivan helped me get this done. Thank you, Dan,” Trump said at the event.

Earlier this month, Trump announced South Korea would invest up to $200 billion into U.S. energy infrastructure, including toward a natural gas pipeline in Alaska. The investment also sought to fund a natural gas plant in Texas and eight new nuclear power plants across the U.S.

South Korean officials apparently disputed some of the specifics of the president’s earlier announcement.

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How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:

President Trump issued pardons at a campaign rally in Alaska on Tuesday for two diesel mechanics who were previously charged with and plead guilty to violating the Clean Air Act.

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to stop work on East Potomac Park, the site of East Potomac Golf Links and a property the president has been eyeing for redevelopment.

President Trump announced early Wednesday that “massive” oil, gas and mineral exploration is “getting ready to begin” in Greenland.

News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics :

Greenland contradicts Trump’s claim that ‘massive’ oil and gas drilling is about to begin there ( CNN )

DC, Maryland and Virginia under power grid emergency. What does it mean for customers? ( WUSA9 )

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin had a wide-ranging press gaggle on Wednesday. Here are a couple key things he said:

Zeldin said that he was “days, not weeks” away from signing a proposed rule that’s expected to relax methane restrictions for oil and gas production.

The administrator said reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) could be part of Congress’s lame duck session. “We provide technical assistance with ideas on ways to do TSCA reform. This is something that is a subject of bipartisan conversation,” he said. “It’s a topic that could be part of the lame duck session.”

Asked whether proposed waivers that could allow water utilities more time before they have to filter out toxic forever chemicals were meant to be common or rare, Zeldin did not directly say, but he said there have been significant advancements in affordable technology in recent months. “”My confidence level today is a lot higher than it was a year ago that water systems are going to be able to treat for PFAS at far less cost,” he said.

The Campaign for Accountability has filed a complaint with the State Bar of California asking for an investigation into White House press secretary Katie Zacharia over her claims that she is a lawyer after reports surfaced that she is not licensed to practice law in any state. Read more

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) is pressing Elon Musk to explain Ukraine’s loss of military access to Starlink and expressing hope that Ukraine’s restricted access to the space-based communications network was because of an error and not a deliberate decision. Read more