"Energy Secretary Chris Wright, speaking on Wednesday at the Climate Forward live event in Manhattan, dismissed reports that President Trump was preparing a total ban on U.S. exports of diesel in a bid to lower energy prices before the midterm elections. He also said high oil prices “will fade” as the war in Iran is resolved.
The remarks were part of a series of expansive conversations with officials and industry leaders who are wrestling with rising energy costs and a wave of new data centers that have led to a widespread backlash. As the war in Iran has driven up oil and gas prices and shifted the geopolitics of energy, a flurry of start-ups are scrambling to tap into what could be new sources of clean, limitless power.
The day of live journalism came at an enormously consequential moment. Global temperatures continue to rise swiftly, as fossil fuel emissions continue unabated. The war in Iran has upended global energy markets and sparked protests over rising prices worldwide. And a powerful El Niño event is scrambling weather patterns and fueling more extreme weather."
David Gelles reports for the New York Times Septemberb 23, 2026.
