Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke indicated the White House is determining whether to use military bases to export coal and natural gas off the West Coast, circumventing local opposition.
“I respect the state of Washington and Oregon and California,” Zinke stated to The Associated Press. “But also, it’s in our interest for national security and our allies to make sure that they have access to affordable energy commodities.”
The comments highlight the growing divide between the federal government and Democratic politicians who sharply oppose President Donald Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda. California Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, for example, signed into law a bill in 2016 that banned state transportation funding for new coal export terminals, handing a big win to environmentalists who want to block coal shipments from the West Coast to Asia. Both Washington state and Oregon have also been reluctant to grant permits for export facilities.
Picture of coal production. Shutterstock
The resistance has created a headache for the Trump administration’s attempt to bolster the country’s fossil fuel industry. Despite opposition in the West Coast, the president has been successful at getting foreign countries to purchase more American-made coal. Exports of coal grew by 61 percent in 2017. This trend doesn’t appear to be changing direction, with steam-coal shipments forecasted to rise by 58 percent in 2018 and coal exports expected to rise another 10 percent in 2019.
Much of these shipments are headed to Asia, which is why the federal government is looking for ways to utilize the West Coast. The White House framed the matter as an issue of national security, arguing that its vital American allies continue to have access to affordable fuels.
“That might be, for example, retired military facilities or other places where we would be able to use those for exports — frankly, to get around some of the unreasonable obstacles that have been thrown up,” Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney said on the plan.
The interior secretary expressed interest in partnering up with private entities to export LNG and coal via naval installations and other federal properties that lie on the coast — such a move would trump the authority of local lawmakers opposed to shipping fossil fuels to foreign countries. While Zinke did not immediately offer a potential site for coal exports, he did suggest the abandoned Adak Naval Air Facility in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands could be used as a hub for natural gas shipments. (RELATED: US Coal Use Hits 35-Year Low, But Exports Are Booming)
Zinke’s comments have already attracted push back from critics. Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden on Monday referred to the proposal as a “trampling” of the rights of West Coast communities.
This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has considered wielding federal authority to promote the fossil fuel industry. The White House drafted a proposal to mandate electric utilities purchase energy from coal and nuclear plants that are at risk of closing down.
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