Despite its patriotic branding and apparent alignment with Trump's America First agenda, the project's origins trace back to the Biden administration. The refinery concept was revived and permitted in 2024 under the name Element Fuels Holdings, with site preparation and approvals occurring well before Trump's return to office.
Europe had turned its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emission power. For fossil fuels, we are completely dependent on expensive and volatile imports. They are putting us at a structural disadvantage to other regions.
Donald Trump started out with the whole premise is that we're going to be energy independent; we are going to Drill, baby, drill'; we are going to make sure we're self-sufficient; we're going to drive down the cost of goods and make manufacturing good for the United States of America, he said. That is America First.' That's what he was elected to do.
A home battery system stores excess electricity generated by your solar panels during the day. Instead of sending unused solar energy back to the grid or letting it go to waste, your battery holds it for later-typically when the sun sets or during a power outage. Here's a simplified breakdown of how it works: Solar panels generate electricity during the day. Your home uses what it needs immediately. The surplus charges your battery. At night or during outages, your battery powers your home. This setup gives you more control over your electricity usage, reduces your dependence on energy companies, and offers peace of mind when the grid goes down.
Dramatically rising electricity demand, driven by AI and electrification, may accomplish what politics hasn't: make clean energy indispensable. Traditional sources can't scale fast enough: new nuclear and coal plants take decades, and even natural gas can't ramp up quickly enough to meet near-term demand.
All solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters must be personally approved by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum under a new order that authorizes him to conduct elevated review of activities ranging from leases to rights of way, construction and operational plans, grants and biological opinions.
