Perry touts energy exports, awaits study on electric grid

WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration is pushing for increased exports of natural gas and other energy sources as it seeks U.S. "energy dominance" in the global market, Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Tuesday.

He and President Donald Trump have offered a "comforting" message to energy companies seeking to export liquefied natural gas, or LNG, at huge terminals in Texas, Louisiana and other states, Perry said: "If you meet the rules, here's your permit."

Perry also said he has not seen a widely expected department study into the reliability of the electric grid. A draft version leaked to news outlets indicates renewable power and federal regulations have had little effect on reliability.

"There are lots of people breathlessly waiting to read that" report, Perry said -- and he is among them.

In a speech at the National Press Club, Perry called LNG exports a "major driver" of jobs and energy production and a key way to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

"We can have a cleaner environment and a strong, prosperous nation," Perry said. "We do not need to sacrifice one for the other; nor will we follow the course other allies have taken to their detriment."

Perry cited a drive for renewable energy in Germany he said has forced electricity costs to record highs.

"That is not the direction the United States plans to take under the Trump administration," he said.

Perry also touted increased U.S. oil and coal exports as part of a strategy to boost energy production and jobs.

Trump has heralded an "energy revolution" he said celebrates American production on American soil, noting the U.S. is on the brink of becoming a net exporter of oil, gas and other energy resources.

Trump signed an executive order in April to expand oil drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, reversing restrictions imposed by President Barack Obama.