Planned South Texas light‑sweet refinery won’t ease near‑term pump prices, energy secretary says

Energy Secretary Chris Wright told interviewer Glenn that a new light sweet‑crude refinery is planned in South Texas and called it "a hugely positive message to the market." He said the project will be the first new refinery built in the United States in over 50 years but cautioned that "it does take a few years to build, so it won't impact...gasoline or diesel prices in the near term."

Wright said the facility is being tuned to process the kind of crude produced in South Texas and the Permian Basin. He framed the plant as a market signal that U.S. refining capacity is adapting to changes in crude quality, but repeated that construction timelines mean immediate price relief for consumers is unlikely.