Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the move will protect access for American families and businesses.
WASHINGTON —
The U.S. Department of Energy approved an emergency exchange of up to 4 million barrels of crude oil from America’s strategic reserves amid concerns that Isaias, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, could lead to price increases.
“With this emergency exchange, the Energy Department is acting swiftly to help maintain refinery operations, limit disruptions to fuel supplies, and ensure American families and businesses continue to have access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright in a statement on Saturday.
The announcement is part of the ongoing federal response to Isaias, which came ashore as a Category 2 Hurricane on Friday near Destin, Florida. The storm has since weakened, but several eastern states are still facing heavy rainfall and the risk of flooding this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Sunday morning, at least four deaths had been reported in connection with the storm, and hundreds of thousands were without power.
President Donald Trump has approved emergency declarations so far for Florida, Alabama, and Georgia to free up federal disaster assistance.
In preparation for the storm, FEMA pre-positioned supplies and staff throughout the region, such as Incident Management Assistance teams and National Urban Search and Rescue teams.
