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Washington, DC – January 20: President Donald Trump signs a series of executive orders at the White House on January 20, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Jabin Botsford | The Washington Post | fake images
President Donald Trump launched a sweeping energy offensive during his first hours in office, issuing a series of executive orders to boost fossil fuel production and roll back U.S. commitments to fight climate change.
It’s unclear what impact Trump’s initial actions will have on the energy industry. The executive directors of Exxon and Chevron They have said oil and gas production levels are based on market conditions and are unlikely to change significantly in response to Trump’s desire to “drill, baby, drill.” The United States has been the largest oil and gas producer in the world for years. And some of Trump’s orders will likely be challenged in court.
Still, the president has made a clear political statement that the United States is abandoning the Biden administration’s focus on fighting climate change by transitioning to cleaner energy sources.
Instead, Trump is prioritizing fossil fuel projects to “solidify the United States as a global energy leader for the future.” These are the key actions Trump has taken on energy so far.
Trump has declared a national energy emergencyarguing that the United States faces a “precariously inadequate and intermittent energy supply, and an increasingly unreliable grid” that threatens national security.
Demand for electricity is expected to increase in the coming years from data centers supporting artificial intelligence and the expansion of domestic manufacturing. The largest US grid operator, PJM Interconnection, has warned it could face electricity shortfalls as coal plants retire faster than new capacity is connected to the grid.
Trump has directed federal agencies to identify and exercise any available emergency legal authority to facilitate the production, transportation, refining and generation of domestic energy sources. He also directed agencies to use all available emergency authorities to accelerate new energy infrastructure projects.
Trump ordered the United States to begin withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement. The historic international treaty seeks to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Under the terms of the treaty, a country can exit the agreement one year after giving notice of its intention to withdraw. But Trump’s executive order states that the United States will consider its withdrawal effective as soon as the UN Secretary General receives written notification.
Trump has also scrapped the Biden administration’s ambitious goals that aimed for half of new car sales to be electric vehicles, for the power grid to be free of carbon pollution and for the economy to produce net-zero emissions.
Trump issued an order to revoke Biden’s ban on oil and gas drilling in most US coastal waters. It is unclear whether Trump actually has the authority to do this and the order will likely face litigation. A federal court overturned a similar order by Trump during his first term that sought to reverse President Barack Obama’s decision to protect Arctic and Atlantic waters.
Trump also issued an order Monday that aims to maximize production of natural resources in alaska. The order prioritizes the development of liquefied natural gas projects and directs the federal government to accelerate the permitting and leasing of energy projects in the state.
The president reversed the Biden administration’s pause on new liquefied natural gas export facilities. Trump ordered the energy secretary to begin reviewing new LNG projects as quickly as possible.
Trump ordered all federal agencies to immediately suspend the disbursement of funds under the Inflation Reduction Lawthe Biden-era climate law that has provided financial support for clean energy.
The president specifically ordered to suspend funding for electric vehicle charging stations. He also ordered his administration to consider ending subsidies and other policies that favor electric vehicles.
Triumph directed wind energy in a separate executive order. The president temporarily suspended new or renewed leases for onshore and offshore wind projects. It also halted the leasing of wind energy projects on the outer continental shelf.