Here's what to know about Trump's Day 1 orders on energy

Energy & Environment

The Big Story

Here's what to know about Trump's Day 1 orders on energy

Trump issued a broad slate of executive orders late Monday. Here's a look at what he did.

Blocking new wind projects

Trump issued an executive order that barred the government from auctioning off the rights to build wind farms offshore.
It also temporarily blocked new rights for wind on public lands as well.
In addition, the order directs the Interior Department to halt the construction of a wind farm in Idaho that was approved under the Biden administration.

Declaring a national emergency

The order was invoked under the National Emergencies Act, which gives the president emergency powers. It directs the head of federal agencies to identify any emergency authorities they may have to facilitate the production or processing of energy.
Speaking about the declaration from behind the Resolute Desk of the Oval Office, Trump said “that means you can do whatever you have to do to get out of that problem."
It also includes other directives, including telling the head of the agency to consider issuing emergency fuel waivers that allow for the year-round sale of gasoline that contains high ethanol content, which is typically restricted due to smog concerns.

Directing regulatory rollbacks

The order initiates a review of all policies that “burden the development of domestic energy resources.”
It also specifically targets former President Biden’s electric vehicle push — stating that it is U.S. policy “to eliminate the ‘electric vehicle (EV) mandate.’”
Many of the measures do not necessarily change the rules on the books right away — instead directing federal agencies to begin the lengthy process of undoing Biden policies that also took years to complete.
However, one key policy that the second order seeks to revisit could end up preventing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing climate regulations entirely. Specifically, it directs the EPA to reassess the 2009 finding that climate change poses a health risk and should be regulated.

Opening up Alaska to drilling and logging

One order seeks to open up drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It particularly directs the Interior Department to reinstate drillings rights there that were revoked under the Biden administration and seeks to review a lease sale there by the Biden administration that ultimately flopped.
It also directs the administration to reverse Biden policies that limited drilling in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve — which was set aside in 1923 by President Harding as an emergency supply of oil for the Navy.
The order also removes Biden-era protections for Alaska’s Tongass National Forest.

Read more about Trump's orders on wind, declaring a national energy emergency and rolling back regulations at TheHill.com.

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Outgoing US Agriculture Chief Criticizes EPA Report on Biofuels (Bloomberg)
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EU plans ban on 'forever chemicals' in consumer products (Reuters)

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Opinions in The Hill

Op-ed related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill:

We cannot hide from climate change — we must stop producing oil and gas now

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