The US plans to double its natural gas exports in the next five years to address growing global demand
Lorenzo Totaro
Senior Contributor, Europe
Sep 10, 2025
The United States has set an ambitious goal of doubling its exports of natural gas within the next five years, a strategic move aimed at capitalizing on what one top official calls the “world’s fastest growing energy source.”
The policy was detailed by Secretary Chris Wright, 17th US Secretary of Energy, who delivered the remarks in Milan, Italy, during the second day of Gastech 2025. Addressing an audience of international energy leaders and executives, Secretary Wright framed the export initiative as a key component of the nation's economic and energy security strategy for the coming decade.
“Natural gas is probably the fastest growing export from the United States today; it’s already twice the size of Hollywood – all the movies and the entertainment that we sell overseas,” stated Secretary Wright. “We will double the natural gas exports from where they are today in the next four or five years.”
“Natural gas is probably the fastest growing export from the United States today; it’s already twice the size of Hollywood – all the movies and the entertainment that we sell overseas. We will double the natural gas exports from where they are today in the next four or five years.”
— United States Secretary of Energy Chris Wright
He emphasized that this export expansion is underpinned by a significant policy shift from the previous administration, which he said had “put a pause on permitting natural gas export terminals.”
The Trump administration, he noted, is actively working to streamline and accelerate the approval process for the crucial infrastructure needed to achieve this new export target. He conceded that “it does take huge infrastructure to export natural gas”.
Secretary Wright stressed that “the world just needs massively more energy, and we've got to produce several times as much energy as we produce today if we're going to lift everybody else to our standard of living”.
“If we produce a lot more energy, you get downward pressure on prices,” he added.
Echoing a similar call made on Gastech 2025 opening day by Secretary Doug Burgum, 55th US Secretary of the Interior, Secretary Wright said the energy industry and governments around the world should get ready to harness artificial intelligence increasingly better, also stressing that the demand for power is going to be heavily impacted by AI.
“We need to add as much additional capacity as we can, so that we can lead in AI,” he said. “And we want our friends and allies in Europe and Asia and elsewhere to also grow their electric generating capacity, to also drive progress in AI, in their society.”
On the day of his visit to Brussels for meeting with the European Union counterparts, Secretary Wright stressed US energy ambitions, adding that the recent landmark trade deal with the EU paved the way for more fruitful relations on energy policy with both the Union executive and member states.
“I personally expect to see Europe be an AI powerhouse, but that requires a pivot in energy policy,” the Energy Secretary told the audience in a packed hall. “I think there's a very active dialogue within the EU and certainly there are differences of opinions, like we do among states in the United States, and I think that active dialogue across countries is going to help drive this pivot.”
Secretary Wright reiterated the Trump administration’s stance for a pragmatic approach to the power demand, stating: “We produce energy for one reason, to better human lives. If you put climate on the top and then energy policy and then humans, you know, you get off track.”
