Chris Wright remarks on high prices
The gist
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said high fuel prices are "really about a shortage of refinery, refining around the planet."
Diesel averaged $6.35 a gallon, and the remarks come days before US midterm elections.
How it unfolded
- Mar 9, 2026In Platteville, Colorado, Wright said a sharp rise in gasoline and diesel prices could last weeks, saying the disruption would be "measured in weeks, not months," and cited plans to insure and escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz and possible releases from the strategic petroleum reserve.
- Jun 10, 2026At a Capitol Hill hearing, Democrats focused on high gasoline and electricity prices, and Wright repeatedly argued Democratic energy policies bear primary responsibility for higher prices.
- Sep 17, 2026At a Daily Caller event, Wright said data centers "almost always are accompanied by a multiyear freeze in electricity prices" and called them "a massive force to reduce the price of electricity and stop the price rises."