エネルギー業界、「トランプ時代」を歓迎　化石燃料への依存強化方針受け

【ヒューストンＡＦＰ＝時事】米テキサス州ヒューストンで１０日、毎年恒例のエネルギー業界の国際会議「ＣＥＲＡウイーク」が開幕した。気候変動対策を重視する前政権の政策を否定し、化石燃料への依存強化を掲げる「トランプ時代」の到来を受け、業界幹部らは米国でのエネルギー関連投資に意欲を示した。（写真は、米テキサス州ヒューストンで開幕したエネルギー会議「ＣＥＲＡウイーク」に抗議するデモ参加者）
　仏トタルエナジーズのパトリック・プヤンヌ最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）は、米国での液化天然ガス（ＬＮＧ）事業拡大に向け、大規模投資を続ける考えを表明。また、「アメリカ湾（メキシコ湾）での探査を再開する時かもしれない」と語った。
　米コノコフィリップスのライアン・ランスＣＥＯは、トランプ政権が新規プロジェクトの許認可を簡素化する動きを見せていることを歓迎。環境問題で遅延しているアラスカでのプロジェクトの進展に期待を示した。
　米エネルギー省のクリス・ライト長官は開幕演説で、気候変動問題を偏重したバイデン政権を厳しく批判するとともに、化石燃料の供給拡大に向け手続きを簡素化する措置を講じることを約束した。
　一方、ＬＮＧ供給を通じて気候変動対策にも取り組む企業やＮＰＯなどの連合体「パートナーシップ・トゥー・アドレス・グローバル・エミッションズ（ＰＡＧＥ）」のクリス・トレーナー氏は、トランプ氏の関税政策について、非公式な場では話題に上っているとしながら、エネルギー業界としては不問に付す構えだと話した。
　「米業界は前政権下では標的にされているように感じていたが、現政権からはそういった感じはしない」と語った。
　ただ、１１日の一部の公開討論会では、関税問題が主要議題となり、ブライアン・ジーン加アルバータ州エネルギー・鉱物相は、カナダ産原油に関税が適用されれば多くの消費者に「多大な悪影響」を及ぼすだろうと警告。また、トランプ氏がカナダ併合をちらつかせていることについても、「人々は非常にショックを受けており、米国に対する態度は変わるだろう」と述べた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2025/03/12-17:05）

Oil executives said Tuesday they are bullish on US petroleum investments in the emerging Trump era as some giants back away from renewable energy and beef up fossil fuel developments.
While there is still talk about decarbonization and climate change mitigation, speakers at this year's CERAWeek conference in Texas have welcomed the more realistic approach gaining favor in industry and policy circles that includes a hefty emphasis on energy affordability and economic development.
The Trump administration's unpredictable tariff announcements have pressured markets, but the lack of open criticism of the moves this week highlights an underlying affinity for the Trump White House after the Biden years.
TotalEnergies chief executive Patrick Pouyanne said the French company would continue to heavily invest to boost its US liquefied natural gas business.
He told an event panel that maybe it's the time to go back to exploring the Gulf of America, employing the Trump administration's term for the Gulf of Mexico.
ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance praised the Trump administration's early moves to streamline permitting of new petroleum projects, pointing to a much-delayed Alaska oil project that was hindered by environmental challenges.
We have to fix the system that we have here in the US, Lance said. That's probably the biggest impediment to growing the energy system in the United States.
- Benefit of the doubt -
The comments highlighted the optimism in oil industry circles generated by President Donald Trump, who has reset the tone from Washington after predecessor Joe Biden lambasted the industry for spending billions of dollars on share repurchases.
Tariffs are getting talked about in back rooms and private conversations, said Chris Treanor, executive director of the Partnership to Address Global Emissions, who described the industry as having enough good will to give Trump the benefit of the doubt.
The US industry doesn't feel like it's being targeted by this administration, whereas it felt like it was targeted by the previous administration, he said.
But tariff talk has dominated some public panels at CERA Week, including one Tuesday in which Canadian officials from across the region expressed incredulity at Trump's latest tariff actions.
Potential US tariffs on Canadian crude would very negatively affect many consumers, said Brian Jean, energy and minerals minister of the oil-rich Alberta Province, who described widespread anger in Canada at Trump's talk of annexing the country.
People are very shocked and surprised, and it's going to change people's attitude about the United States, Jean said.
- 'Continuous growth' for oil -
Begun in 1983 by Daniel Yergin, author of The Prize, a Pulitzer Prize-winning history of the oil industry, CERAWeek is an annual Houston gathering that has expanded beyond its petroleum roots to include the power and renewable sectors.
Trump's Secretary of Energy Chris Wright opened the conference on Monday, vowing to take steps to ease the path for fossil fuels to boost supplies of affordable energy and sharply criticizing the Biden administration's focus on climate change.
One of the most dramatic shifts in orientation has been from BP, which announced last month that it was trimming its renewable energy efforts and retreating from carbon emissions targets as it ramps up investment in fossil fuels.
We're back to our roots, BP Chief Executive Murray Auchincloss told the conference Tuesday, describing ramped up investments in exploration and production in the United States and the Middle East.
Biden's administration enacted aggressive fuel economy standards designed to boost electric vehicles and generous tax credits to encourage EV battery projects and greater use of solar and wind power.
A couple of years ago, CERA Week was dominated by talk of net zero emission by the mid-century in line with the Paris Climate Agreement that challenges the future viability of crude oil and natural gas.
But at this year's CERA, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser expressed confidence in oil, saying we see continuous growth of demand.
TotalEnergies' Pouyanne shrugged off talk in Europe of phasing out natural gas, pointing to Germany's needs after phasing out nuclear power, saying this is a message, and then you have the reality.