By Nick Pope
President-elect Donald Trump will reportedly declare an energy emergency to help roll back Biden administration energy policies after being formally sworn in on Monday, according to Bloomberg News.
It is not immediately clear how Trump may use an emergency declaration to pursue his “energy dominance” goals, but he will likely look to open up more oil and gas activity on federally-controlled lands, scrap Biden-era climate regulations and order changes in the ways electricity is generated and transmitted, according to Bloomberg News. Other energy actions Trump is expected to take quickly upon returning to the White House include lifting the Biden administration’s freeze on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and its lame duck move to ban future oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of federally-controlled waters.
Declaring an energy emergency would fulfill a Trump campaign trail promise and mark a major pivot away from the Biden administration’s focus on fighting climate change with aggressive regulation and spending to finance green energy subsidies, according to Bloomberg News. A state of emergency would enable Trump to harness up to 150 special powers typically reserved for situations like terrorist attacks and natural disasters. (RELATED: ‘Pure Socialist Wish Fulfillment’: Biden Attempts To Trump-Proof AOC’s Favorite Jobs Program)
BURGUM: “Today, America produces energy cleaner, smarter, and safer than anywhere in the world.” pic.twitter.com/DfSOczF3EM
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 16, 2025
Other Biden administration policies reportedly on the chopping block include aggressive regulation covering fuel economy and tailpipe emissions for vehicles, rules that critics have charged amount to an electric vehicle mandate, according to Bloomberg News.
“With President Trump behind them, our energy workers are ready to deliver oil, natural gas, and coal at massive levels which will make energy affordable and reliable to millions of homes across the country,” Daniel Turner, president and CEO of Power the Future, said in a Monday statement. “Immediate and decisive action is what is needed to begin to repair the damage of the last four years of failure and put our country on the road to American energy dominance, and that’s exactly what President Trump has done.”
Trump is also expected to take a host of actions on other key policy areas after his inauguration concludes and for his first few days in office, including crackdowns on illegal immigration, cutting telework for federal employees and more.
