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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The next White House will usher in a new era of energy policy, as President-elect Donald Trump and two of his cabinet-rank picks — Environmental Protection Agency nominee Lee Zeldin and energy-secretary nominee Chris Wright — prepare to “drill, baby, drill.”
In exclusive interviews, Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) and Greg Kozera, an economic-development consultant and fracking advocate, told The Post they expect the new administration to immediately slash regulations and open up new opportunities for the natural-gas industry.
Rep. Hunt, who hails from Houston — America’s energy capital — said he’s relieved Trump has been re-elected after four years of Biden-Harris energy policy.
“It’s been an absolute disaster,” Hunt told The Post. “Sitting on the Natural Resources Committee, I’ve learned that these people are committed and this administration was committed to killing the oil and gas industry and basically strengthening our adversaries and strengthening our enemies abroad.”
“That’s just what I’ve seen by killing our [liquified-natural-gas] production, limiting pipelines.The onerous and burdensome regulations that we have seen on refining and everything,” said Hunt.
“We have got to do a complete and total 180 shift in policy. I think we’re gonna see that under President Trump rapidly within the first 100 days of his presidency.”
A member of Congress since 2023, Hunt has repeatedly criticized Biden for banning new drilling on federal lands and killing the Keystone pipeline.
But Hunt, who entered Congress under President Biden, is optimistic about Lee Zeldin, Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
“I think it’s absolutely wonderful. I’ve gotten to know Lee over the course of the past few years by campaigning with President Trump,” Hunt said. “He is somebody that’s dedicated to the Trump agenda and dedicated to, for lack of a better word, ‘Drill, baby, drill.’”
Hunt is hoping to start working on this from Day One as he listed his immediate legislative priorities after Trump’s inauguration.
“First of all, an immediate lift on the LNG-export ban, quicker approval from the EPA for [exploration and production] companies, for sure. And allowing them to drill on federal lands,” said Hunt.
“And then our offshore-lease sales will happen under President Trump. And I see these five things happening immediately. Actually within the first 100 days of the election via executive fiat, if need be.”
Greg Kozera is an economic development consultant for Shale Crescent USA, which encourages investment in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania — states that have abundant natural gas and a large fracking presence.
Wright, Trump’s energy pick, is a big player in the industry and leads oilfield-services group Liberty Energy.
Kozera said since the election, multiple foreign investors have expressed interest in manufacturing in this area, expecting the Trump administration’s loosening of regulations to provide a steady stream of natural gas.
“What I’m seeing is the companies that we’ve been dealing with that have been kind of dragging their feet have suddenly fired up,” Kozera told The Post.
Kozera said this increased interest in investment is due to Trump’s clearer track record on energy policy, despite Vice President Kamala Harris’ claims during the campaign she would not ban fracking.
“I think what Trump brings to the table is, during his last administration when a lot of these projects started, he was reducing regulations, trying to create regulation certainty. Which, even if it’s a bad ‘reg’ — one that is restrictive — at least if you know what the rule is, you can deal with it. What their fear was with a Harris administration is they weren’t sure what they were gonna get.”