Pipeline capacity constraints in the Northeast contributed to petroleum briefly surpassing natural gas as New England's leading source of electricity generation during Winter Storm Fern in January 2026

Overview Debates Related claims Topics Sources

Alberta holds the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves and sends approximately 90% of its crude oil exports to the United States.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that an oil tanker carrying over two million barrels of crude oil caught fire after striking a mine while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on October 17, 2026.

U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper stated that 400 ships carrying 100 million barrels of oil transited the Strait of Hormuz during the second week of October 2026.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on October 17, 2026, that Russian diesel would have been sold regardless of U.S. intervention and that the 60-day sanctions pause allows evaluation of economic impacts.

The Trump administration authorized certain transactions involving Russian diesel on October 9, 2026, to allow Russia to supply diesel to U.S. and global markets.

Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian oil refineries, including an oil-loading terminal linked to the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Rostov-on-Don, have disrupted Russian diesel production and global energy supplies.

President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, attributing them to rising domestic U.S. diesel prices.

U.S. national average gas prices reached $4.28 per gallon and diesel reached $6.32 per gallon following U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran in February 2026.

Earlier in October 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order expanding access to tax-exempt red-dyed diesel used in farm and construction equipment to help lower fuel costs

President Donald Trump stated in October 2026 that he would not authorize a ban on diesel exports despite calls from some Republicans for an export pause

The national average price for a gallon of diesel fuel reached $6.3187 in October 2026, compared to an average price of $3.63 per gallon one year prior

In Kansas, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline reached $3.9783 and diesel reached $6.0722, according to AAA data reported in October 2026

Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on October 19, 2026, that expanding natural gas supply through the Constitution Pipeline is intended to lower regional energy costs and prevent electricity blackouts

Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on October 19, 2026, that the Trump administration hopes construction on the Constitution Pipeline begins next spring to enter service by the winter of 2028

The Department of Energy announced on October 19, 2026, that the Trump administration will provide up to $42 million under Title III of the Defense Production Act to support pre-construction, environmental, and permitting activities for the Constitution Pipeline

Constitution Pipeline Co. asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in December 2025 to reissue the federal certificate it had received in 2014 following renewed interest from infrastructure company Williams Companies

President Donald Trump issued a presidential determination in April 2026 invoking the Defense Production Act to support domestic natural gas infrastructure amid permitting delays and pipeline bottlenecks

The Constitution Pipeline received federal approval in 2014, but New York regulators denied a required water-quality certification in 2016, leading developers to abandon the project in 2020

Ken Lovett, senior communications adviser on energy and environment for New York Governor Kathy Hochul, criticized the Department of Energy's $42 million Constitution Pipeline funding announcement on October 19, 2026, calling it a political ploy

Ken Lovett stated on October 19, 2026, that President Donald Trump's policies have driven up home energy costs while Governor Kathy Hochul remains focused on an all-of-the-above energy strategy