What we know: NPR
An aerial view of oil storage containers near the Chevron Pasadena refinery in Pasadena, Texas, in June 2024. The United States is now the world's largest oil producer. President Trump said his declaration of a “national energy emergency” was one of his first actions in office.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images North America
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Brandon Bell/Getty Images North America
President Trump has said he will declare a “national energy emergency” as one of his first actions as president and pledged to support domestic fossil fuel production.
“We're going to drill, baby, drill,” he said in his inaugural address. “We will become a wealthy nation again, and the liquid gold beneath our feet will help us do that.”
Declaring an energy emergency would be a first for the federal government, and it's unclear exactly what the impact will be. Here's what we know about this unprecedented operation.
National emergency gives president extra powers
Trump administration officials said on a call with reporters Monday that “a national energy emergency will unleash a variety of different powers that will allow our country to quickly rebuild, produce coal and natural resources, create jobs, create prosperity, and strengthen Our country’s national security.”
Declaring a national emergency gives the president some additional executive powers. According to the Brennan CenterExamined emergency powers, regulations that give the president the power to suspend certain environmental regulations or impose restrictions on crude oil exports.
Research conducted by the Brennan Center and E&E News historical uses of these powers. No president has ever declared a “national energy emergency,” but regional ones were declared in the 1970s when fossil fuels were in short supply. Then-President Jimmy Carter authorized governors to suspend some environmental regulations, but urge them 'Using an abundance of caution' and suspending some rules due to public health impact only “As a last resort.”
Carter has not officially announced national emergencies, although he did consider the energy crisis top priority For his government.
America has no shortage of fossil fuels
Trump focused on fossil fuels in his inaugural address, vowing: “We will lower prices, replenish our strategic reserves and export American energy around the world.”
As energy historian Daniel Yergin has argued, the regional emergencies of the 1970s were in response to fossil fuel shortages, caused in large part by price controls noticed.
But the United States is not currently facing a fuel shortage. The United States is a net exporter of fossil fuels, producing more oil and natural gas than any other country in the world at any time in history and producing slightly increased. many at the same time analyst It is currently expected that the entire world is facing Oversupply in the near future Supply of oil and natural gas is growing faster than demand.
However, Trump has consistently said he wants to increase U.S. oil drilling and is expected to roll back regulations, promote more federal land leases and verbally encourage companies to drill.
Grids could be a focus area
Despite abundant oil and natural gas reserves, there are concerns that rising electricity demand, driven primarily by data centers and increased manufacturing, could put pressure on the grid in coming years.
Trump did not focus specifically on the issue in his speech, but he could use emergency authorities to try to keep power plants open that have been closed for economic or environmental reasons. He has historically expressed particular support for coal-fired power plants.
In a call with reporters, a Trump official also mentioned that the action would “allow our country to rebuild quickly” — alluding to longstanding efforts to reduce regulatory and legal challenges that have Regulatory and legal challenges often delay new energy projects, from pipelines to transmission lines and power plants.
exist A piece of work from last fall, Electrical & Electronics News Explores some of the ways Trump could use emergency powers to speed up the opening of new power plants.
This time, saving energy is no longer a priority
In the 1970s, the federal government's response to the nation's energy crisis included an emphasis on energy conservation through efficiency improvements.
By contrast, Trump is Speak out against laws requiring appliances to be more efficient.
Trump officials told reporters earlier Monday that the emergency declaration would also end “efforts to limit consumer choices on products such as shower heads, gas stoves and dishwashers.”
Electric cars still the goal
Trump has also pledged to end the “EV mandate,” a term he often uses to describe a series of policies designed to encourage the transition to battery-powered vehicles.
There is currently no federal policy requirement All vehicles are electricbut the Biden administration has introduced a number of policies Promote electric vehicles.
Some of these policies may soon be reversed. That includes an executive order setting a goal for half of new cars sold to be electric by 2030. It is not enforceable per se but is intended to give automakers and policymakers something to work towards.
The photo was taken in June 2023 on an oil drilling platform in Stanton, Texas. U.S. oil production is declining. President Trump said the United States will “drill, baby, drill.”
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images
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Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images
But the EV policies that anger Trump and other Republicans most — like major tax credits for consumers and manufacturers, tough federal emissions standards and state-level EV mandates — cannot be undone with the stroke of a pen , requiring months of regulatory action, congressional legislation or Supreme Court intervention.
Trump's actions may direct his agency to prioritize changes to anti-EV policies.
The rollbacks have strong support from the oil industry, while the auto industry has called for stability and consistency — that is, keeping Biden's policies largely unchanged with only minor changes.
Promise to lower prices
Trump said in his inauguration speech: “We will lower prices.” During the campaign, he repeatedly promised to reduce energy prices by 50%.
Analysts say this is an unlikely goal. (In 2020, crude oil prices plummeted during the epidemic, energy consumption dropped, and the average energy cost of Americans down 19% – It would take a global, market-shaking disaster. )
Policy changes able It is certainly possible to affect pump prices and electricity prices with smaller cost reductions. But it's not simple.
Trump has long argued that more drilling would lower the price of oil and natural gas, and industry experts agree this is true. Lower prices, on the other hand, can hinder drilling and cause prices to rebound, the classic boom-and-bust cycle the oil industry is famous for.
A bottom in oil prices would also hurt the bottom lines of oil producers who openly support Trump.
Trump's support for exporting natural gas may also be a priority for the oil and gas industry apply upward pressure According to a recent report from the Energy Department, consumer costs; oil industry advocates have accused the report, released at the end of the Biden administration, of being politically motivated.