There’s such a tidal wave of winning spewing down the pipe now that Donald Trump’s rightful place in the White House has been restored that it’s hard to pick one thing to write about that everyone else hasn’t already talked about, but let’s cover Trump lifting the offshore oil and gas ban Biden put in place just before he left office, as well as withdrawing from the never-ratified Paris Accords as part of a much more energy-friendly approach.
“Declaring a National Energy Emergency”
Purpose: “The integrity and expansion of our Nation’s energy infrastructure — from coast to coast — is an immediate and pressing priority for the protection of the United States’ national and economic security. It is imperative that the Federal government puts the physical and economic wellbeing of the American people first.”
Summary:
Directs agency heads to explore and enact any existing executive authority that will enable them “to facilitate the identification, leasing, siting, production, transportation, refining, and generation of domestic energy resources, including, but not limited to, on Federal lands.” Tasks the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head to approve emergency waivers for the 365-day sale of gasoline anywhere its supply is currently limited. Expedites the permitting, construction, and completion of energy infrastructure projects, such as the Keystone XL pipeline, that have received previous approval. Restricts the application of the Endangered Species Act in areas deemed to be unnecessarily burdening energy-related projects. Creates an Endangered Species Act Committee tasked with reviewing designations under the law. “Unleashing American Energy”
Purpose: “It is thus in the national interest to unleash America’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources. This will restore American prosperity — including for those men and women who have been forgotten by our economy in recent years. It will also rebuild our Nation’s economic and military security, which will deliver peace through strength.”
Summary:
Details the official American energy policy, which includes energy exploration on federal lands and waters; ramping up production of rare-earth minerals; grounding all related regulations in law; nixing the electric vehicle mandate and bans on certain kinds of consumer goods; and ensuring adequate public comment periods on energy-related regulations. Withdraws the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords and eliminates the Green New Deal; terminates the American Climate Corps and the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases; and rescinds a multitude of President Biden’s climate-related executive orders, including the drilling ban on federal lands and waters and the application of regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act. Prioritizes permitting for liquefied natural gas exporting projects, such as on the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana. Requires agency heads to remove regulatory barriers to the mining of mineral resources across the country. “Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements”
Purpose: “It is the policy of my Administration to put the interests of the United States and the American people first in the development and negotiation of any international agreements with the potential to damage or stifle the American economy. These agreements must not unduly or unfairly burden the United States.”
Summary:
The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. will immediately notify the international organization that it will withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Any financial grants given to the U.N. in conjunction with the Paris Agreement will be ceased. Reports on the withdrawal and all the actions thereto shall be compiled to provide updates. Any future agreements related to energy shall “prioritize economic efficiency, the promotion of American prosperity, consumer choice, and fiscal restraint in all foreign engagements that concern energy policy.” “Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects”
Purpose: “This withdrawal temporarily prevents consideration of any area in the OCS for any new or renewed wind energy leasing for the purposes of generation of electricity or any other such use derived from the use of wind. This withdrawal does not apply to leasing related to any other purposes such as, but not limited to, oil, gas, minerals, and environmental conservation.”
Summary:
Approval of new leases for offshore wind power operations will be halted — similar to Biden’s directive on offshore oil drilling — and the current practices will be reviewed. Agencies will assess the “environmental impact and cost … of defunct and idle windmills.” Existing leases are not affected.
Trump is doing his level best to hit the ground running and clean up four years of Biden’s war on American consumer and energy producers via executive fiat in the name of pie-in-the-sky environmentalism in a single week.
This is how you carry out campaign promises.
Godspeed, Mr. President.