U.S. Department of Energy Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office

10/07/2026

At Apache Generating Station, the Steam Turbine 3 Modernization Project is designed to reduce forced outages and long-term maintenance costs while supporting grid reliability as peak demand rises across the region.

After touring the site, Acting Assistant Secretary Curt Coccodrilli met with the AEPCO team to discuss the project. For the rural communities AEPCO serves, these upgrades mean dispatchable, cost-effective power they can count on.

Under President Trump's American Energy Dominance Agenda, HGEO is working to keep affordable, reliable, and secure energy flowing to the communities that depend on it.

10/07/2026

American natural gas is supplying energy to the world. 🌎

The U.S. Department of Energy’s latest Natural Gas Imports and Exports Monthly Report shows exports of U.S. LNG totaled 827.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas in July 2026 — including 518.7 billion cubic feet shipped as liquefied natural gas to 35 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

U.S. LNG exports were up 18.7% compared to July 2025. Under President Trump’s American Energy Dominance Agenda, HGEO is committed to keeping energy flowing, strengthening our allies abroad and our economy at home.

Learn more in our latest blog🔗

The July 2026 Natural Gas Imports and Exports Monthly Report details how American natural gas is moving across global markets. This blog summarizes how U.S. natural gas continues to bolster energy security, enhance reliability and support economic growth.

10/07/2026

Acting Assistant Secretary Curt Coccodrilli visited Sahuarita, Arizona, to tour the Komatsu Arizona Proving Grounds and The University of Arizona's San Xavier Underground Mining Laboratory alongside leaders from the university and Arizona’s mining industry.

The two sites put mining innovation to the test, from evaluating autonomous systems and battery-electric mining equipment to giving future mining engineers hands-on experience with the same kinds of full-scale equipment used in industry.

10/06/2026

Acting Assistant Secretary Curt Coccodrilli toured Arizona Electric Power Cooperative's generating facilities in Cochise County, home to the Steam Turbine 3 Modernization Project at Apache Generating Station. 🏜️

The project will upgrade key components on a 195-megawatt coal-fired unit to improve its performance, efficiency, and availability. The U.S. Department of Energy is providing $20.8 million in federal funding toward the $60.5 million project.

Under President Trump's American Energy Dominance Agenda, HGEO is investing in affordable, reliable, and secure power that keeps the lights on across the Southwest.

10/06/2026

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Acting Assistant Secretary Curt Coccodrilli visited Duke Energy's Roxboro coal station in Semora, where the U.S. Department of Energy is providing $28.4 million in Defense Production Act funds to upgrade and modernize the facility. ⚡

Roxboro Units 2 and 3 play a vital role in supporting local communities and maintaining reliability across the broader Duke Energy Progress system.

10/06/2026

Keeping North Carolina's power reliable. ⚡

The U.S. Department of Energy is investing in existing coal generation to improve reliability, reduce operational risk, and preserve dispatchable capacity — including more than $62 million in planned federal investment at two Duke Energy facilities in North Carolina.

At Roxboro Plant in Person County, the Roxboro 2 & 3 Coal Reliability Assurance Initiative includes more than 60 targeted upgrades to boiler, scrubber, electrical, and balance-of-plant systems. At Belews Creek Steam Station in Stokes County, 18 actions will replace and upgrade boilers, turbines and generators, controls, and other critical components.

Together, the two facilities represent approximately 3,805 megawatts of existing generating capacity.

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This fact sheet highlights HGEO's Office of Coal priorities and investments to modernize coal infrastructure, advance coal technologies, and strengthen reliable power generation, including more than $62 million in planned federal investments at two North Carolina facilities.

10/06/2026

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Acting Assistant Secretary Curt Coccodrilli visited Duke Energy's Roxboro coal station in Semora, North Carolina, last week to see U.S. Department of Energy supported upgrades to Units 2 and 3 firsthand.

Under President Trump's American Energy Dominance Agenda, HGEO is investing in the around-the-clock generation that keeps the grid steady and power affordable.

10/05/2026

Speaking at the AXPC Annual Forum, HGEO Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary John Lassek highlighted how U.S. LNG has grown from a small export business into a major global energy security asset, climbing from roughly 0.5 billion cubic feet per day in 2016 to 15.1 Bcf/d in 2025.

Since January 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy has taken 15 export actions authorizing or reauthorizing more than 22.4 Bcf/d of natural gas exports, supporting supply security for the United States and our allies.

Under President Trump's American Energy Dominance Agenda, HGEO is keeping American natural gas moving to the markets that need it.

10/02/2026

At the AXPC Annual Forum, HGEO Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary John Lassek highlighted how the Strategic Petroleum Reserve exchange delivered on two goals at once.

The U.S. Department of Energy moved 133 million barrels to market across three exchanges, with the first shipments arriving in just nine days. With an average 26% return premium, roughly 167 million barrels are scheduled to come back, adding about 34 million net barrels to the reserve at no cost to taxpayers.

10/02/2026

American Energy: The Next 250 Years