The Exxon Mobil Baytown Refinery in Baytown, Texas, on Jan. 13, 2026. Brandon Bell/Getty Images
In the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, his administration unrolled few energy policy surprises in doing what he vowed to do while campaigning—aggressively support oil, gas, and coal production; boost investment in nuclear energy development; roll back environmental regulations; and promote a revival of the nation’s mining and minerals processing industries.
But a new stratagem has been tossed into the mix, such as earmarking billions in direct federal investment in mining companies and reactor projects. The administration is committing taxpayer dollars not only to seed mining, smelter, and refinery development, but to sustain stability in global minerals and metals markets now manipulated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
