U.S. Interior Takes Steps to Implement President Trump’s Energy Agenda

U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Bergum on Feb. 3 signed orders to implement President Donald Trump’s executive orders including declaring a national energy emergency, revoking offshore oil and gas drilling bans, and advancing a deregulatory agenda to reduce red tape.
Order 3417, “Addressing the National Energy Emergency,” directs the department to undertake two actions to address the nation’s energy urgency and inadequate resources. The first action is to immediately identify all emergency and legal authorities to expedite processes such as permitting, leasing, development, and production of energy sources and critical minerals. In the second action, the department will identify all emergency and other legal authorities to accelerate the development of authorized energy, infrastructure, environment, and natural resource projects.
Under Order 3418, the department is required to support President Trump’s directive to encourage the exploration of energy resources, particularly oil and gas, on federal lands and waters. To further support this agenda, the Order 3420 instructs the department to comply with President Trump’s directions to reverse the Biden administration’s withdrawal of the Outer Continental Shelf from oil and gas exploration activities and directs the department to expedite oil and gas exploration projects in the area.
Secretary Burgum also directed the department to support President Trump’s deregulatory agenda aimed to remove at least 10 existing regulations for every new one introduced, ensuring that any new regulatory costs are balanced by eliminating previous ones. All bureaus and offices within the department are responsible for optimizing financial management and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens.
Pursuant to Order 3422, the department will accelerate the development of energy resources in Alaska. Secretary Bergum also ordered a review of all funding activities currently pending from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
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