Here’s what Trump has to deal with now.
A new government watchdog report is raising serious concerns about America’s energy security after revealing that the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen to its lowest level in more than four decades. The report also warns that aging infrastructure and the lack of a long-term replenishment strategy could weaken the nation’s ability to respond during a future energy emergency.
The findings, released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), come after years of large oil withdrawals tied to global conflicts, rising fuel prices, and congressionally mandated sales.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve Falls to 40-Year Low
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) was created following the 1970s oil embargo to protect the United States from severe supply disruptions caused by war, natural disasters, or other global energy crises. Today, it remains the country’s largest emergency oil stockpile.
The reserve has the capacity to store approximately 680 million barrels of crude oil. However, as of early June, it contained fewer than 350 million barrels—its lowest level since the 1980s.
According to the GAO, at least 180 million barrels were released following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, along with additional congressionally mandated sales used to help finance maintenance projects.
The reserve may decline even further.
Earlier this year, the Department of Energy announced plans to release another 172 million barrels after disruptions to global oil markets caused by the conflict involving Iran, with the goal of easing gasoline prices for American consumers.
The GAO cautioned that the full impact of these large-scale withdrawals remains uncertain.
“The full timing and implications of this large-scale emergency release are not yet realized,” the watchdog agency stated.
No Long-Term Plan to Rebuild Emergency Oil Reserve
One of the report’s biggest concerns is the absence of a comprehensive strategy for restoring America’s emergency oil supply.
According to the GAO, federal officials have not established a long-term target for the size of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, nor have they identified where replacement oil will come from or how the reserve will be rebuilt over time.
Energy experts have also warned that global supply disruptions have placed additional strain on U.S. energy resources.
Clay Seigle, a non-resident scholar with the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program, previously said the United States significantly increased oil exports to help offset shortages caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Several Asian allies, including the Philippines, were among the countries that received shipments.
Trump Administration Defends Its Energy Strategy
The Department of Energy has defended the administration’s handling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, arguing that the current approach is focused on long-term energy security.
“The GAO report makes clear what we have said from day one: the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a critical national security asset that must be managed strategically—not politically,” a Department of Energy spokesperson said.
The department also contrasted its strategy with that of the previous administration, arguing that earlier withdrawals significantly reduced reserve levels while directing proceeds toward climate-related initiatives.
Officials said the Trump administration structured the latest oil exchanges so that lower-cost barrels will eventually be returned to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, replacing more than the 172 million barrels released.
The department added that President Donald Trump has prioritized using the SPR to strengthen America’s energy security, stabilize oil markets, protect consumers from supply disruptions, and reinforce the nation’s energy independence.
Aging Infrastructure Raises Additional Concerns
Beyond declining oil levels, the GAO warned that much of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve’s infrastructure is approaching the end of its useful life.
The reserve is stored in underground salt caverns located in Louisiana and Texas. According to the report, most of the wells were originally designed to operate for 20 to 30 years, yet even the newest well is now approximately 38 years old.
The Department of Energy is currently completing a $1.4 billion life-extension project, but the GAO concluded that repair work has not kept pace with the reserve’s growing maintenance needs.
The watchdog warned that delaying critical upgrades could eventually reduce the government’s ability to safely store, receive, or release oil during a national emergency.
The current maintenance backlog is estimated to cost roughly $230 million to address.
Domestic Energy Production Continues to Expand
At the same time, the Trump administration has continued expanding domestic oil and natural gas production by approving new drilling projects in the Gulf of America, offshore California, and Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
However, the GAO noted that it remains unclear how much of that increased production will ultimately be directed back into the federally owned Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Congress Urged to Develop Long-Term Energy Plan
The watchdog agency concluded that significant questions remain about the future of America’s emergency oil reserve.
Among its recommendations, the GAO urged Congress and the Department of Energy to develop a unified long-term strategy that establishes a target size for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, identifies funding sources, outlines a replenishment plan, and ensures the reserve can continue meeting America’s energy security needs during future emergencies.
While the Trump administration continues to expand domestic energy production and defend its strategy for managing the nation’s emergency oil supply, the GAO warned that without a clear long-term plan, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve could face increasing operational challenges in the years ahead.