President Trump’s Executive Orders and the Future of Energy Production

Make no mistake.  Monday, January 20th marked a turning point in energy production for this country.  Included in the stack of Executive Orders that President Trump signed, a number of them directly affect the production of energy.   

The “Initial Recissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions” revokes no less than 60 prior Executive Orders and at least 10 Presidential Memoranda.  It instructs officials to identify and where possible undo all harmful implementations of those orders to increase American prosperity. 

As a baseline, that’s a good start. 

And it gets even better.   

The “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review” directs all executive departments and agencies not to propose or issue any rule until a Trump appointed or designated official reviews and approves that rule.  Through this Order, the administration is assured that any remaining proposed rules from the previous administration are not finalized; and that any final rules from the previous administration that are pending submission to the Federal Register are not sent for publication until an adequate review for consistency with the current administration’s policies can be completed.      

“Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements” directs the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  That Agreement, an addition to the international treaty on climate change, has been cited by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its “FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan” in supporting “fulfillment of commitments” under the Paris Agreement and “other international climate related agreements.”   The US withdrawal from that Agreement signals that this administration will no longer  shackle our economy and will instead prioritize energy abundance.   

Concerning Alaska, “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” sets forth the United States policy to expedite permitting and leasing of energy and natural resource projects in Alaska and to prioritize liquified natural gas (LNG) potential. 

The Secretary of the Interior has been specifically directed to withdraw the Order that temporarily halted all oil and gas leasing activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR); and to rescind any lease cancellations within ANWR, other than those consistent with the administration’s policy.  The Secretary is further directed to issue all permits and easements necessary for the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas from leases within ANWR.   

The Ambler Road Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is to be revisited and a temporary moratorium has been placed on all activities granted under the record of decision “National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision” for review of alleged legal deficiencies.   

The Bureau of Land Management’s final rule published May 7, 2024 on the National Petroleum Reserve (NPR) in Alaska, an area containing approximately 23.4 million acres and managed by BLM, is rescinded.  That final rule had placed a number of restrictions on oil and gas activities in Special Areas of the NPR-Alaska.   

In response to the Executive Order concerning Alaska, on February  3, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed a number of Secretary’s Orders to unleash energy production not only in Alaska, but across the country.    Secretary’s Order 3418 directs a Department-wide review of all appropriations from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, plus a review of all domestic mining and processing of non-fuel minerals.  That Order also directs action to prioritize the updating of the U.S. Geological Survey’s list of critical minerals and to speed up the geological mapping of the country.  Secretary’s Order 3421 directs the Department to support the President’s deregulation agenda, indicating that Interior will eliminate at least ten existing regulations for every new one introduced while ensuring that the costs of new regulations are offset by removing the costs of previous ones.   

The President’s “Unleashing American Energy” Executive Order is an all of government directive to review and halt existing regulations and actions that impose an undue burden on the development or use of domestic energy resources. It specifically calls out the need for permitting reform through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by directing the head of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) do undo the framework dating back to President Carter for permitting review. 

Without question, the Department of Energy will play a prominent role in implementing the President’s energy agenda.  To that end, on February 5, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued a Memorandum to the Department outlining his vision for “Unleashing the Golden Era of American Energy Dominance” at the agency.  Noting that the Department has an opportunity to promote energy abundance, the document is clear that under his leadership, a culture of transparency, performance, and common sense will be pursued.  Nine separate items that are highlighted for initial action.   Those items include: 

1. Advance Energy Addition, Not Subtraction.  The Department’s goal is to unleash American energy abundance required to power modern life and to achieve a durable state of American energy dominance, not the pursuit of net-zero policies that raise energy costs for American families and businesses. 
2. Unleash American Energy Innovation.  The Department’s Research and Development (R&D) enterprise will focus time and resources on technologies that will grow America’s scientific leadership, reduce costs for American families, strengthen the reliability of our energy system, and bolster the nation’s manufacturing competitiveness and supply chain security.  The Department’s R&D efforts will prioritize affordable, reliable, and secure energy technologies, including fossil fuels, advanced nuclear, geothermal, and hydropower.  The Department will prioritize technological breakthroughs such as nuclear fusion, high-performance computing, quantum computing, and AI to maintain global competitiveness.   
3. Return to Regular Order on LNG Exports. On January 20 the Department resumed consideration of pending applications to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries without a free trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S. Proper consideration of LNG export applications is required by law and shall proceed accordingly. 
4. Promote Affordability and Consumer Choice in Home Appliances. The Department will initiate a comprehensive review of its Appliance Standards Program.  Any standards should include a cost-benefit analysis considering the upfront cost of purchasing new products and reflecting actual cost savings for American families.  “The Department will pursue a commonsense approach that does not regulate products that consumers value out of the market; instead, affordability and consumer choice will be our guiding light.” 
5. Refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Department will refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) and will review SPR infrastructure and develop appropriate plans to safeguard this asset.
6. Modernize America’s nuclear stockpile.  The Department will protect our national security and nuclear deterrence in the  development, modernization, and stewardship of America’s atomic weapons,  including the peaceful use of nuclear technology and nonproliferation.
7. Unleash Commercial Nuclear Power in the United States. The Department will work diligently and creatively to enable the rapid deployment and export of next-generation nuclear technology. 
8. Strengthen Grid Reliability and Security. As electricity demand is forecast to soar in the coming years, the Department will bring a renewed focus to growing baseload and dispatchable generation to reliably meet growing electricity demand.   
9. Streamline Permitting and Identify Undue Burdens on American Energy. The Department will prioritize more efficient permitting to enable private sector investments and build the energy infrastructure needed to make energy more affordable, reliable, and secure.  The Department will identify and exercise its legal  authorities to expedite the approval and construction of reliable energy infrastructure. 

With an administration committed to common sense reforms, the days ahead are expected to bring less restrictions for American businesses so that energy abundance can become a way of life.  AFP appreciates President Trump’s recognition of the importance of energy to our national economy; and looks forward to full implementation of the administration’s energy policy directives.