Category: US Department of Energy

Source: US Department of Energy

Every month, the U.S. Department of Energy publishes the Natural Gas Imports and Exports Monthly Report, detailing how American natural gas is moving across global markets. This summary highlights how U.S. natural gas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), continues to bolster energy security, enhance reliability, and support economic growth at home and abroad.

By the Numbers: April 2026

The United States exported 807.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas and imported 223.1 billion cubic feet. This resulted in 584.4 billion cubic feet of net exports. 

U.S. LNG Exports

The United States exported 537.9 billion cubic feet (Bcf) or 17.9 Bcf/d of natural gas as liquefied natural gas in April 2026.  This amount represented 66.6 percent of total U.S. natural gas exports. These U.S. LNG exports reached 35 countries across multiple regions including Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Regional distribution included:

• Europe: 293.7 billion cubic feet (54.6 percent)
• Asia: 163.1 billion cubic feet (30.3 percent)
• Africa: 57.9 billion cubic feet (10.8 percent)
• Latin America and the Caribbean: 23.3 billion cubic feet (4.3 percent) 

Additional highlights:

• In April 2026, U.S. LNG exports decreased 6.2 percent from the all-time high reached in March 2026, 18.5 Bcf/d.
• LNG exports increased 20 percent from April 2025
• 90.6 percent of LNG exports went to non-free trade agreement (NFTA) countries
• 9.4 percent went to free trade agreement (FTA) countries 

Top LNG Destinations

U.S. LNG exports to the top five destination countries accounted for 46.4 percent of total LNG exports. These destinations included:

• Egypt: 57.0 billion cubic feet (10.6 percent)
• Netherlands: 54.1 billion cubic feet (10.0 percent)
• Italy: 52.3 billion cubic feet (9.7 percent)
• France: 46.5 billion cubic feet (8.7 percent)
• India: 39.9 billion cubic feet (7.4 percent) 

Pipeline and Truck Trade with Mexico

The United States exported 194.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas to Mexico and imported less than 0.1 billion cubic feet from Mexico, resulting in 194.2 billion cubic feet of net exports. This marked a 1.3 percent decrease compared to March 2026 and a 3 percent decrease compared to April 2025. 

Pipeline and Truck Trade with Canada

The United States exported 75.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas to Canada and imported 222.9 billion cubic feet, resulting in 147.5 billion cubic feet of net imports. This reflected a 16.7 percent increase compared to March 2026 and an 11.8 percent decrease compared to April 2025. 

Why This Matters

U.S. LNG provides flexible and reliable energy supplies that help international partners manage supply disruptions and variable market conditions. Continued expansion of U.S. LNG export capacity supports global energy systems and strengthens the U.S. economy through investment and employment. 

Explore the Full Report

The full April 2026 report and supporting data tables are available on the Department of Energy website: Natural Gas Imports and Exports Monthly 2026.

Source: US Department of Energy

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) today announced up to $150 million in federal funding for cost-shared projects aimed at advancing three critical priorities for the U.S. oil and natural gas industry—dramatically improving recovery efficiency from unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, advancing hydraulic fracture characterization technologies, and developing innovative solutions for produced water management. This initiative advances resident Trump’s Executive Order , “Unleashing American Energy,” and the Secretarial Order “Unleashing the Golden Era of Energy Dominance,” to provide affordable, reliable, and secure energy to all Americans through the responsible development of our nation’s abundant domestic oil and natural gas supplies.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are unleashing America’s energy potential to secure our nation’s future,” said DOE Acting Assistant Secretary of the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office Curt Coccodrilli. “By unlocking more of our domestic oil and natural gas resources, improving our understanding of hydraulic fracturing, and innovating in produced water management, we are not only creating jobs and lowering energy costs for American families, we are also driving innovation that will benefit our economy for generations to come.”

DOE has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeking innovative proposals that address technical, economic, and environmental barriers across the following areas, with a focus on increasing domestic energy production and strengthening American energy dominance:

• Enhanced Recovery from Unconventional Oil and Gas Reservoirs: With recovery rates from unconventional reservoirs often below 10%, significant oil and gas resources remain untapped. Funding in this area will support the rapid field deployment of novel technologies and processes—including exploring the potential of carbon dioxide as an injectant—to improve oil and gas extraction, increase the recovery factor, and lower the break-even cost of primary recovery operations to increase the efficiency of our national resources and provide more affordable energy.
   
• Advanced Characterization of Fracture Propagation, Proppant Behavior, and Well Diagnostics: Advanced hydraulic fracture characterization builds upon years of successful partnerships between DOE, industry, and research institutions. In unconventional reservoirs, productivity is governed by hydraulic fracturing, making a detailed understanding of fracture propagation, proppant behavior, and reservoir response critical to efficient field development. Funding in this area will support advanced diagnostics and characterization technologies to improve operational effectiveness and enhance resource recovery.
   
• Advanced Field-Testing of Multi-Scale Produced Water Treatment Technologies and Processes: Produced water management remains a growing challenge across major U.S. producing basins. In 2025 alone, Permian Basin operations produced an estimated 22 million barrels of water per day, while operators in the Appalachian Basin and other regions continue to face significant water handling and disposal costs. Funding in this area will support the field testing of advanced produced water treatment technologies and processes that can reduce subsurface disposal, facilitate beneficial reuse, and mitigate associated environmental risks. 

Read more details about this NOFO here. The application deadline is October 5, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Learn about how HGEO is unleashing the full potential of America’s hydrocarbon and geothermal resources to provide affordable, reliable, and secure energy here.

Source: US Department of Energy

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy celebrates yet another win for the American nuclear energy renaissance. Early Saturday, as part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Reactor Pilot Program, Aalo Atomics’ test reactor, Aalo-X, successfully completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration. The experiment took place at Idaho National Laboratory and is the fourth DOE-authorized advanced reactor to achieve the criticality milestone, exceeding the July 4th goal outlined by President Trump in his May 2025 executive order.

“Last month I toured the Aalo facility at Idaho National Laboratory and was impressed by the company’s determination to successfully demonstrate their technology by the Fourth of July,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “President Trump asked for three advanced reactors to be authorized and achieve criticality by the 250th anniversary of our great country. I’m pleased to share that through the dedication and hard work of Aalo, INL and DOE, we have surpassed that ask and delivered four!”

Aalo-X joins a growing list of successful advanced reactor designs and spotlights the continued progress and momentum of participants in DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program and the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative. In June, Antares Nuclear’s Mark-0 reactor, Valar Atomics’ Ward 250, and Deployable Energy’s Unity achieved criticality.

“The hardest problem in nuclear was never the physics, our country simply forgot how to build. The success of the Department of Energy Reactor Pilot Program is proof America can execute again,” said Yasir Arafat, President and CTO, Aalo Atomics. “We are proud to play a major role in America’s nuclear renaissance, going from breaking ground to a sustained chain reaction in just eight months, one of the fastest reactor builds in modern American history.”

The fourth criticality of a DOE authorized reactor design surpasses what many skeptics thought American reactor developers could achieve in response to President Trump’s precedent-setting directive. The Reactor Pilot Program leverages DOE authorization to expeditiously certify and construct first-of-a-kind advanced reactor designs for demonstration. The new authorization pathway is a shining example of how regulatory reform can accelerate innovation and help usher in a golden age for the nuclear energy industry and advancement of President Trump’s Energy Dominance agenda.

Learn more about the Reactor Pilot Program.

Source: US Department of Energy

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today issued an emergency order to mitigate blackouts in the Carolinas amid hot weather conditions. Issued pursuant to Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, the order authorizes Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (“DEC”) and Duke Energy Progress, LLC (“DEP”) (collectively, “Duke Energy”) to operate specified units up to their maximum generation output levels, notwithstanding air quality or other permit limitations arising under federal, state, or local environmental laws or regulations. This order was issued pursuant to an application from Duke Energy. The order will mitigate the risk of blackouts brought on by unusually high load forecasts and hot weather conditions across the region.

“Maintaining affordable, reliable, and secure power in the Duke Energy service territory is non-negotiable,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “The previous administration’s energy subtraction policies weakened the grid, leaving Americans more vulnerable during events like this. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are reversing those failures and using every available tool ensuring Americans in the Carolinas’ have continued access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy to power and cool their homes.” 

On day one, President Trump declared a national energy emergency after the Biden administration’s energy subtraction agenda left behind a grid increasingly vulnerable to blackouts. 

The order is in effect beginning on July 2, 2026, and shall expire at 10:00 PM EDT on July 6, 2026.

Source: US Department of Energy

WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today released the following statement regarding the Working Families Tax Cut July 4, 2026 deadline ending federal tax credit subsidies for new wind and solar projects not currently under construction. For more than three decades, the federal government has subsidized wind and solar energy generation. In 2025, wind and solar accounted for approximately three percent of total U.S. primary energy consumption.

“I’m thrilled to report that after about 35 years, on July 4th, we will end the subsidies for wind and solar, thanks to the Working Families Tax Cut.

“Wind and solar take a lot of land, 100 times more land for a similar amount of energy. They take an enormous amount of materials, energy intensive materials like steel and cement and polysilicon.

“They take an enormous amount of additional transmission lines to connect their large land, far flung production back to where there’s demand centers.

“And what do we get for all that is a relatively small amount of low value energy. It’s low value because the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine.

“So they drive up the system costs and increase Americans’ electricity prices.

“Enough of raising electricity prices. We’re going to drive them down. Thank you.”

Source: US Department of Energy

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) celebrates the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s historic Working Families Tax Cuts. Made possible by the Working Families Tax Cuts, EDF has tallied several vital wins to rebuild supply chains, lower household energy bills, and strengthen U.S. energy and industrial leadership.

The Working Families Tax Cuts expanded the scope of EDF’s more than $250 billion available loan authority to support reliable and affordable energy-related investments through the revamped and renamed Energy Dominance Financing Program (EDFP).

“The prior administration had policies that undermined our grid with intermittent and expensive technologies that didn’t deliver the affordable, reliable and secure energy that Americans need,” EDF Director Gregory A. Beard said. “The Working Families Tax Cuts empowered the nation with a common-sense approach to increasing the nation’s energy supply through ensuring baseload power goes to a secure and reliable grid, securing critical mineral supply chains, winning the global AI race and launching the American nuclear renaissance.”

EDF is working to rapidly implement and deploy the EDFP. Over the past year, these accomplishments include:

Financing America’s nuclear renaissance

EDF has financed nuclear restarts and reestablished domestic manufacturing capabilities central to the Administration’s goal of reinvigorating the U.S. nuclear industrial base. As part of a national nuclear renaissance strategy, EDF recently announced a $17.5 billion conditional loan to finance long-lead time items needed to rebuild America’s commercial nuclear supply chain. This investment will accelerate the deployment of 10 large-scale commercial nuclear reactors across the United States by up to three years. The project marks a major step toward advancing President Trump’s Executive Order, Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base, by supporting the objective of having 10 new large nuclear reactors with complete designs under construction by 2030, representing over 11 GW of secure, reliable generation. EDF is lending $1 billion to Constellation to help finance the Crane nuclear restart, an 835 MW plant located on the Susquehanna River in Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania that will provide reliable and affordable baseload power to the PJM Interconnection region. EDF also continues to support an up to $1.52 billion loan to support the restart of the previously shutdown Palisades nuclear power plant in Covert Township, Michigan. Once complete, the plant will generate 800 MW of affordable and reliable baseload power.

Lending to support a stable, reliable grid

EDF is deploying the Working Families Tax Cuts’ strengthened authorities to drive immediate savings for American households. Currently, EDF has deployed $30 billion in loans to utility companies, with over $8 billion in savings being passed through to customers. Utility loans previously considered under the Biden Administration have been modified to remove intermittent energy sources and focus on common-sense baseload generation. This is just the start, with many more billions expected to be delivered in the coming months. Examples of existing loans include a historic $26.5 billion loan package to Southern Company to deliver over $7 billion in electricity cost savings to millions of customers in Georgia and Alabama and build or upgrade over 16 gigawatts (GW) of firm reliable power to the electrical grid. Additional loans include a $1.6 billion loan to American Electric Power to reconductor and rebuild around 5,000 miles of transmission lines across Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and West Virginia and a $1.6 billion loan to DTE Gas to lower energy prices for Michiganders by modernizing and strengthening approximately 800 miles of distribution mains and service lines while delivering over $700 million in cost savings to millions of customers in Michigan.

Supporting domestic industries

The Working Families Tax Cuts are also helping EDF rebuild U.S. capabilities in strategically vital sectors beyond electricity generation. EDF is particularly focused on critical minerals, materials, and other strategically important resources. As an early example, EDF issued a $1.5 billion loan to Wabash Valley Resources to produce 500,000 metric tons of fertilizer per year from a coal plant in West Terre Haute, Indiana, restoring domestic ammonia production for American agriculture.

Thanks to Working Families Tax Cuts, EDF is delivering a once in a generation surge in energy infrastructure investment that is lowering costs for American families, rebuilding critical domestic supply chains, and accelerating the next American nuclear energy renaissance.

Source: US Department of Energy

WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today announced the Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to permanently end home appliance and equipment mandates that raise costs and disrupt consumer choice. The proposal will update the Department’s Process Rule used to establish energy conservation standards for household appliances and equipment, including air conditioning units, gas stoves, washing and drying machines, water heaters, refrigerators, and other products Americans rely on every day. In accordance with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order, “Unleashing Prosperity through Deregulation,” the proposal will preserve consumer choice and lower costs. 

“In America, you should be able to choose a dryer that dries clothes on the first try rather than one that takes multiple cycles—unfortunately, past administrations thought otherwise,” Secretary Wright said. “For too long, the American people paid the price for mandates that restricted consumer choice and drove up costs. President Trump promised to end this
nonsense and that is exactly what we are doing. This proposed rule will preserve the American people’s ability to choose home appliances and equipment that actually work — at prices they can afford. It’s called common sense.” 

“From day one, the Trump Administration has offered relief to consumers, businesses, and industries through bold deregulatory action,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy (EERE) Audrey Robertson. “This proposal is about the future. It will ensure that new regulations promote affordability, preserve consumer choice, and meet the highest standards for transparency and due diligence.”  

For further details, read the full text of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Comments will be accepted for 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. 

DOE also issued a Request for Information seeking public input on the methodologies used in developing energy conservation standards for covered products and equipment. Comments will be accepted for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.  

Under the leadership of President Trump, today’s actions build on the Trump Administration’s commitment to remove burdensome regulations that raise prices, reduce consumer choice, and frustrate the American people.

Source: US Department of Energy

WASHINGTON—As part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative, Deployable Energy’s demonstration reactor, Unity, successfully completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration at Idaho National Laboratory. Unity, which achieved criticality late yesterday, is the third DOE-authorized advanced reactor to go critical by the July 4th deadline set by President Trump in his May 2025 executive order. This criticality marks DOE’s fulfillment of a precedent-setting directive to reignite nuclear energy innovation in the United States.

Earlier this month, Antares Nuclear’s Mark-0 and Valar Atomics’ Ward 250 reactors achieved criticality under DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program, making the United States the first country in history to achieve criticality in three unique advanced microreactor designs in a single month.

“Last week, I had the opportunity to see the Unity demonstration reactor firsthand and meet with the talented teams from Deployable Energy, INL and DOE whose work made this historic moment possible on the eve of our nation’s 250th anniversary,” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said. “America’s nuclear renaissance is underway because of President Trump’s bold vision and ambitious goals. Yesterday, we accomplished a significant milestone on a timeline many thought was unachievable. Advanced nuclear technologies like Unity will help power the next generation of American industry, strengthen our energy security, and ensure the United States remains the world’s nuclear innovation leader.”

Deployable Energy completed the Unity criticality experiment under the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative, managed by the National Reactor Innovation Center at Idaho National Laboratory. The next evolution of the Reactor Pilot Program, Nuclear Energy Launch Pad leverages DOE authorization to expeditiously certify and construct first-of-a-kind advanced nuclear technologies for demonstration.

“We are proud to be a part of this historic achievement and I want to express Deployable Energy’s gratitude to the administration for setting an audacious goal to have three reactors reach criticality before July 4th, the U.S. Department of Energy for ensuring our ability to meet this goal with safety, quality, and speed, and the Idaho National Laboratory for providing an incredible partnership in execution. I also want to thank my team and supply chain partners of dedicated professionals. We would not have been able to meet this moment without their brilliance, boldness, and grit,” said Bobby Gallagher, Co-Founder and CEO at Deployable Energy.

As the first Nuclear Energy Launch Pad project to achieve the criticality milestone, Unity demonstrates how leveraging the national laboratory’s resources can expedite critical experiments and reactor demonstrations.

Learn more about the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad.

Source: US Department of Energy

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today issued two emergency orders to mitigate blackout risks in the Mid-Atlantic ahead of the region’s predicted record-breaking peak loads brought on by the forecasted hot weather conditions. The first order directs PJM Interconnection, LLC (PJM) to dispatch specified units and to order their operation as needed to maintain reliability. The second order authorizes PJM, in collaboration with its Transmission Owners and Electric Distribution Companies, to direct backup generation resources to operate as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3 or during an EEA 3. The orders were issued pursuant to applications from PJM submitted on June 27 and 29, 2026.

“Maintaining affordable, reliable, and secure power in the PJM service territory is non-negotiable,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “The previous administration’s energy subtraction policies weakened the grid, leaving Americans more vulnerable during events like this. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are reversing those failures and using every available tool ensuring Americans in the Mid-Atlantic have continued access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy to power and cool their homes.”

DOE estimates more than 35 GW of unused backup generation remains available nationwide.

On day one, President Trump declared a national energy emergency after the Biden administration’s energy subtraction agenda left behind a grid increasingly vulnerable to blackouts. According to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) 2026 Summer Reliability Assessment, the peak electricity demand in PJM occurs during the summer season. It further notes that “if extreme high temperatures are experienced, PJM anticipates the need for demand-response resources to help reduce load.”

Power outages cost the American people $44 billion per year, according to data from DOE’s National Laboratories. These orders will mitigate the possibility of power outages in the Mid-Atlantic and highlight the commonsense policies of the Trump Administration to ensure Americans have access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity.

These orders are in effect beginning at 11:59 PM EDT on June 30, 2026, and shall expire at 11:59 PM EDT on July 3, 2026.

Source: US Department of Energy

WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today issued an emergency order to keep a Colorado coal plant operational to ensure Americans maintain access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity. The order directs Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (Tri-State), Platte River Power Authority, Salt River Project, PacifiCorp, and Public Service Company of Colorado (a subsidiary of Xcel Energy), to take all measures necessary to ensure that Craig Unit 1 is available to operate at the direction of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP). For the duration of this Order, SPP is directed to take every step to employ economic dispatch of Craig Unit 1 to minimize costs to ratepayers.  

Unit 1 of the coal plant was originally scheduled to shut down at the end of 2025, but in December 2025 and again in March 2026, Secretary Wright issued emergency orders directing Tri-State and the co-owners to ensure that Unit 1 at the Craig Station remains available to operate.

“Taking reliable generation off the grid compromises energy reliability and needlessly raises energy costs for Americans,” said Energy Secretary Wright. “During peak summer demand, Coloradans deserve continued access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy to power and cool their homes.”

Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, coal plants across the country are being saved from premature retirement and reversing plans to shut down. In 2025, more than 17 gigawatts of coal-power electricity generation were saved.

According to DOE’s Resource Adequacy Report, blackouts were on track to potentially increase 100 times by 2030 if the U.S. continued to take reliable power offline as it did during the Biden administration.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment warns that the WECC-Rocky Mountain assessment area faces challenges from an aging thermal resource fleet, which can lead to unplanned outages, exacerbated by supply chain issues, and vendor availability.

This order is in effect beginning on June 29, 2026, through September 26, 2026.