U.S. President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office an executive order to unleash America’s energy by easing the barriers to oil and gas extraction and production and revoking a series of climate orders by President Biden.
As pledged in the campaign and widely expected to take place on President Trump’s first day in office, the executive order follows the declaration of a national energy emergency.
The declaration includes measures to expedite the delivery of energy infrastructure, emergency approvals by agencies “to facilitate the identification, leasing, siting, production, transportation, refining, and generation of domestic energy resources, including, but not limited to, on Federal lands.”
In the executive order, the President’s sweeping new energy policy is to “encourage energy exploration and production on Federal lands and waters, including on the Outer Continental Shelf, in order to meet the needs of our citizens and solidify the United States as a global energy leader long into the future.”
The President’s executive order also aims to establish the U.S. position as the leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals, including rare earth minerals, “which will create jobs and prosperity at home, strengthen supply chains for the United States and its allies, and reduce the global influence of malign and adversarial states.”
The new policy also includes the elimination of the “electric vehicle (EV) mandate” and the promotion of true consumer choice, which is essential for economic growth and innovation, by removing regulatory barriers to motor vehicle access. The measure would ensure a level regulatory playing field for consumer choice in vehicles, the Trump White House said.
Where appropriate, state emissions waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-powered automobiles shall be eliminated. Moreover, the Administration will consider the “elimination of unfair subsidies and other ill-conceived government-imposed market distortions that favor EVs over other technologies and effectively mandate their purchase by individuals, private businesses, and government entities alike by rendering other types of vehicles unaffordable.”
Trump’s policies are also aimed at safeguarding the American people’s freedom to choose from a variety of goods and appliances, including but not limited to light bulbs, dishwashers, washing machines, gas stoves, water heaters, toilets, and shower heads, and promoting market competition and innovation within the manufacturing and appliance industries.