An executive order officially establishing a National Energy Dominance Council was signed by President Donald Trump on Friday.
The order instructed the council to act swiftly to increase domestic oil and gas production, already setting records.
In addition, the Trump administration declared that it had approved conditional export clearance for a massive LNG project in Louisiana.
This is the first time that new LNG exports have been approved since former President Joe Biden halted their consideration a year ago.
Additionally, Trump stated that he instructed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to revoke Biden’s prohibition on further offshore oil drilling on the East and West coasts.
Trump claimed that Biden’s last-minute move last month “viciously took out” over 625 million offshore acres that could have added to the country’s “net worth.”
Additionally, Trump pledged to resurrect an abandoned pipeline that would transport natural gas from Pennsylvania to New York, claiming that doing so could reduce energy costs in the Northeast by up to 70%.
Combined, the measures demonstrated Trump’s resolve to boost American energy output, especially from fossil fuels like natural gas and oil, and to eliminate any regulatory obstacles that would impede it.
Trump has called on energy firms to sell more gas and oil to allies in Europe and other countries, saying that the US is endowed with “liquid gold.”
At a Friday ceremony held in the Oval Office, Trump declared, “We’re going to make more money with energy than anybody’s ever made.”
“Clean energy, very clean, beautiful energy” is what the US possesses. We are fortunate to possess it. I refer to it as “liquid gold” beneath our feet. And we will make use of it.
Trump said the new council, which will be led by Burgum, will have broad authority over federal agencies involved in energy permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, and transportation. With a mandate to reduce bureaucratic red tape, increase private sector investments, and prioritize innovation over “unnecessary regulation,”
Additionally, Trump declared he would lower dishwashing and other appliance efficiency criteria.
Additionally, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that he would collaborate with Congress to revoke a waiver that Biden’s EPA issued that permitted California to enforce stringent air pollution regulations on vehicles and trucks.
Biden announced in January 2024 that he was delaying approval of new natural gas export facilities in the United States, even as gas flows to Europe and Asia have risen since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Even though the Democratic president promised to cut climate pollution in half by 2030, Biden’s election-year decision aligned him with environmentalists who worry that the massive surge in LNG exports is locking in potentially catastrophic planet-warming emissions.
Laptops 1000However, the decision angered Republicans and the oil and gas sector, who referred to it as a “broken promise” and treachery to U.S. allies who rely on LNG imports for domestic heating and other purposes.
Biden’s decision has been frequently asked for to be undone, and the delay was lifted by an executive order issued by Trump on the first day of his new administration.
Speaking with Trump at the White House, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he had given Commonwealth LNG in Louisiana provisional permission.
The business has announced plans to build a new facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, where it will export 9.5 million tons of LNG annually.
“Unpausing the pause in action” imposed by Biden, Wright stated, by signing the conditional export approval.
“I am proud to be working with President Trump to get American energy exports back on track because exporting American LNG boosts the U.S. economy, supports American jobs, and improves global energy security,” Wright said.
According to a statement, Commonwealth LNG, owned by Kimmeridge Texas Gas, praised the administration’s moves, saying they “show that President Trump is prioritizing the American energy industry.”
The business expressed confidence that the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will approve the project this summer, although Wright’s approval is contingent upon a final order from the panel.
Two weeks before his term ended, Biden used his authority under the federal Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect offshore areas along the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and portions of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea.
The order would protect coastlines along California, Florida, and other states from future drilling. Still, it would not affect large swaths of the Gulf of Mexico, where most U.S. offshore drilling occurs.
Commonwealth CEO Farhad Ahrabi said the company expects to reach a final investment decision in September, with the first LNG production anticipated in early 2029.
“Biden removed an incalculable amount of money from our balance sheet,” Trump stated on Friday. He erased it. That is a significant portion of the ocean, and he took it away and gave it away.
Trump added, “Now it’s back in our balance sheet,” and expressed confidence that the ban could be revoked “in a very legal procedure.”
