Flames from a gas burner on a cooker are seen February 1, 2017 in this illustration photo taken in a private home in Nice, France.
State Department officials approached the companies to ask where additional supplies might come from if they were needed, two industry sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. “We’ve done this with the European Commission, but we’ve also done it with energy companies. It’s accurate to say that we’ve spoken to them about our concerns and spoken to them about a range of contingencies, but there wasn’t any sort of ask when it comes to production.”
A spokesperson for the US National Security Council would not comment on U.S. discussions with energy companies, but confirmed contingency planning was underway.