42 U.S.C. § 13201 (THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE)
§ 13201. “Secretary” defined
For purposes of this Act, the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Energy.
(Pub. L. 102–486, § 2, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2782.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: References in Text
text: This Act, referred to in text, is Pub. L. 102–486, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2776, known as the Energy Policy Act of 1992. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note below and Tables.
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Short Title
text: Pub. L. 102–486, § 1(a), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2776, provided that: “This Act [see Tables for classification] may be cited as the ‘Energy Policy Act of 1992’.”
heading: Executive Documents
heading: Ex. Ord. No. 13211. Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use
text: Ex. Ord. No. 13211, May 18, 2001, 66 F.R. 28355, provided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to appropriately weigh and consider the effects of the Federal Government’s regulations on the supply, distribution, and use of energy, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. The Federal Government can significantly affect the supply, distribution, and use of energy. Yet there is often too little information regarding the effects that governmental regulatory action can have on energy. In order to provide more useful energy-related information and hence improve the quality of agency decisionmaking, I am requiring that agencies shall prepare a Statement of Energy Effects when undertaking certain agency actions. As described more fully below, such Statements of Energy Effects shall describe the effects of certain regulatory actions on energy supply, distribution, or use.
Sec. 2. Preparation of a Statement of Energy Effects. (a) To the extent permitted by law, agencies shall prepare and submit a Statement of Energy Effects to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, for those matters identified as significant energy actions.
(b) A Statement of Energy Effects shall consist of a detailed statement by the agency responsible for the significant energy action relating to:
(i) any adverse effects on energy supply, distribution, or use (including a shortfall in supply, price increases, and increased use of foreign supplies) should the proposal be implemented, and
(ii) reasonable alternatives to the action with adverse energy effects and the expected effects of such alternatives on energy supply, distribution, and use.
(c) The Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs shall provide guidance to the agencies on the implementation of this order and shall consult with other agencies as appropriate in the implementation of this order.
Sec. 3. Submission and Publication of Statements. (a) Agencies shall submit their Statements of Energy Effects to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, whenever they present the related submission under Executive Order 12866 of September 30, 1993 [5 U.S.C. 601 note], or any successor order.
(b) Agencies shall publish their Statements of Energy Effects, or a summary thereof, in each related Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and in any resulting Final Rule.
Sec. 4. Definitions. For purposes of this order:
(a) “Regulation” and “rule” have the same meaning as they do in Executive Order 12866 [5 U.S.C. 601 note] or any successor order.
(b) “Significant energy action” means any action by an agency (normally published in the Federal Register) that promulgates or is expected to lead to the promulgation of a final rule or regulation, including notices of inquiry, advance notices of proposed rulemaking, and notices of proposed rulemaking:
(1)(i) that is a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866 or any successor order, and
(ii) is likely to have a significant adverse effect on the supply, distribution, or use of energy; or
(2) that is designated by the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs as a significant energy action.
(c) “Agency” means any authority of the United States that is an “agency” under 44 U.S.C. 3502(1), other than those considered to be independent regulatory agencies, as defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(5).
Sec. 5. Judicial Review. Nothing in this order shall affect any otherwise available judicial review of agency action. This order is intended only to improve the internal management of the Federal Government and does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party against the United States, its agencies or instrumentalities, its officers or employees, or any other person.
George W. Bush.
heading: Ex. Ord. No. 13212. Actions To Expedite Energy-Related Projects
text: Ex. Ord. No. 13212, May 18, 2001, 66 F.R. 28357, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 13286, § 10, Feb. 28, 2003, 68 F.R. 10622; Ex. Ord. No. 13302, § 1, May 15, 2003, 68 F.R. 27429, provided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to take additional steps to expedite the increased supply and availability of energy to our Nation, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. The increased production and transmission of energy in a safe and environmentally sound manner is essential to the well-being of the American people. In general, it is the policy of this Administration that executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall take appropriate actions, to the extent consistent with applicable law, to expedite projects that will increase the production, transmission, or conservation of energy and projects that will strengthen pipeline safety.
Sec. 2. Actions to Expedite Energy-Related Projects. For energy-related projects (including pipeline safety projects), agencies shall expedite their review of permits or take other actions as necessary to accelerate the completion of such projects, while maintaining safety, public health, and environmental protections. The agencies shall take such actions to the extent permitted by law and regulation, and where appropriate.
Sec. 3. Interagency Task Force. (a) There is established, within the Department of Energy for administrative purposes, an interagency task force (Task Force) to perform the following functions:
(i) monitor and assist the agencies in their efforts to expedite their reviews of permits or similar actions, as necessary, to accelerate the completion of energy-related projects (including pipeline safety projects), increase energy production and conservation, and improve the transmission of energy;
(ii) monitor and assist agencies in setting up appropriate mechanisms to coordinate Federal, State, tribal, and local permitting in geographic areas where increased permitting activity is expected; and
(iii) perform the functions of the interagency committee for which section 60133 of title 49, United States Code, provides.
(b)(i) The Task Force shall consist exclusively of the following members:
(A) in the performance of all Task Force functions set out in sections 3(a)(i) and (ii) of this order, the Secretaries of State, the Treasury, Defense, Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Transportation, the Interior, Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Energy, and Veterans Affairs, the Attorney General, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of Central Intelligence, the Administrator of General Services, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and such other heads of agencies as the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality may designate; and
(B) in the performance of the functions to which section 3(a)(iii) of this order refers, the officers listed in section 60133(a)(2)(A)–(H) of title 49, United States Code, and such other representatives of Federal agencies with responsibilities relating to pipeline repair projects as the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality may designate.
(ii) A member of the Task Force may designate, to perform the Task Force functions of the member, a full-time officer or employee of that member’s agency or office.
(c) The Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality shall chair the Task Force.
(d) Consultation in the implementation of this order with State and local officials and other persons who are not full-time or permanent part-time employees of the Federal Government shall be conducted in a manner that elicits fully the individual views of each official or other person consulted, without deliberations or efforts to achieve consensus on advice or recommendations.
(e) This order shall be implemented in a manner consistent with the President’s constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch.
Sec. 4. Judicial Review. Nothing in this order shall affect any otherwise available judicial review of agency action. This order is intended only to improve the internal management of the Federal Government and does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party against the United States, its agencies or instrumentalities, its officers or employees, or any other person.
George W. Bush.
heading: Executive Order No. 13783
text: Ex. Ord. No. 13783, Mar. 28, 2017, 82 F.R. 16093, which related to certain regulations promoting energy independence and economic growth, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 13990, § 7(a), Jan. 20, 2021, 86 F.R. 7041, set out in a note under section 4321 of this title.
heading: Executive Order No. 13868
text: Ex. Ord. No. 13868, Apr. 10, 2019, 84 F.R. 15495, which related to promoting private investment in the Nation’s energy infrastructure, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 13990, § 7(a), Jan. 20, 2021, 86 F.R. 7041, set out in a note under section 4321 of this title.
heading: Protecting Jobs, Economic Opportunities, and National Security for All Americans by Ensuring Appropriate Support of Innovative Technologies for Using Our Domestic Natural Resources
text: Memorandum of President of the United States, Oct. 31, 2020, 85 F.R. 70039, provided:
Memorandum for the Secretary of State[,] the Secretary of the Treasury[,] the Secretary of Defense[,] the Attorney General[,] the Secretary of the Interior[,] the Secretary of Agriculture[,] the Secretary of Commerce[,] the Secretary of Labor[,] the Secretary of Transportation[,] the Secretary of Energy[,] the United States Trade Representative[,] the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency[,] the Director of the Office of Management and Budget[,] the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs[,] the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy[,] the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers[,] the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy[,] the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality[, and] the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:
Section 1. Purpose. This memorandum sets forth policies related to protecting American jobs, economic opportunities, and national security by ensuring appropriate support of hydraulic fracturing and other innovative technologies for the use of domestic natural resources, including energy resources. In support of these policies, this memorandum directs certain officials to assess the potential effects of efforts to ban or restrict the use of such technologies.
Sec. 2. Background. Our country has been favored with abundant land, wildlife, and natural resources. Americans have rightly seen this abundance as both an opportunity and a responsibility. Our blessings have rightly been a great source of national pride and gratitude. As we enjoy these bounties, we are also bound by a responsibility of stewardship to use, protect, and preserve them for future generations.
Among the greatest of our blessings are our energy resources, which all too often we take for granted. Our Nation has untold potential to deliver energy to provide us with the necessities—light, heat, cold, food, and water, to say nothing of modern telecommunications—for our daily lives at home and at work, and our travel from place to place. Reliable, affordable energy is essential for running our homes, businesses, farms, factories, health care facilities, and schools, and is critical to every sector of our economy, including our energy-intensive and trade-exposed industries. Access to dependable, inexpensive sources of energy is a cornerstone of our well-being, of our economic strength and global competitiveness, and of our national security.
One of the great success stories of our time has been the development of hydraulic fracturing (often known as “fracking”) and other technologies to facilitate the extraction of natural resources from the earth. Hydraulic fracturing is a process that provides access to reservoirs of natural gas and petroleum by opening rocks deep underground. When coupled with horizontal drilling and other new technologies, fracking has opened up new sources of inexpensive, reliable, abundant energy for our country. It has also produced jobs and economic opportunities for many Americans.
In a report issued in October 2019, the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) estimated that by lowering energy prices, the use of fracking and other innovations had saved United States consumers $203 billion per year, or $2,500 in annual savings for a family of four. These savings disproportionately benefit low-income households, which spend a larger share of their income on energy bills, representing 6.8 percent of income for the poorest fifth of households compared to 1.3 percent for the richest fifth of households. The CEA estimated that greater productivity had reduced the domestic price of natural gas by 63 percent as of 2018; had led to a 45 percent decrease in the wholesale price of electricity; and had reduced the global price of oil by 10 percent as of 2019.
The transformation wrought by technologies such as fracking is not only the result of America’s natural abundance and Americans’ capacity for scientific discovery and practical invention. It is also a testament to our Nation’s greatest resource: our hardworking men and women. Energy workers have dedicated their lives to an industry that is essential to the modern world, and their labors have demonstrated their talent, perseverance, and courage. Even in the midst of this unprecedented pandemic, essential energy workers have continued to ensure that our Nation has the energy that it needs to survive and to flourish. We owe these workers our gratitude. We also owe them appropriate respect and support for their careers, their livelihoods, and their families.
It should be emphasized that technologies such as fracking—when used lawfully and responsibly, with appropriate attention to environmental, health, and safety protections—are vital not just to our domestic prosperity but also to our national security. Shortly after I entered office, I issued Executive Order 13783 of March 28, 2017 (Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth) [former 42 U.S.C. 13201 note], which directed an immediate review of all agency actions that potentially burdened the development or use of domestic energy resources. That order also rescinded certain actions of the previous Administration that, in my judgment, were not consistent with the national interest and the Nation’s geopolitical security. As a result of new technologies and my Administration’s continued push for energy independence, our country recently became a net energy exporter for the first time since 1952, as well as the leading producer of oil and natural gas in the world. We are no longer beholden to foreign countries upon which we had depended for decades for the survival of our way of life. This achievement is a great accomplishment for our country, which should not be taken for granted.
Now that we have achieved a dominant position in energy production, powerful voices in the United States, echoed by countries such as China and Russia, are clamoring for policies that would undermine that position, forgetting the very real costs and risks of energy dependence. Some of these voices call for using legislative or regulatory mechanisms to ban, or sharply restrict, the use of fracking and other technologies. In my view, such proposals are not responsible and would be harmful to the economic and national security of the United States.
Sec. 3. Policy. It is the policy of the Federal Government to aggressively protect and enhance American jobs, economic opportunities, and national security for all Americans by ensuring appropriate support of innovative technologies for using our domestic natural resources more efficiently and responsibly, including environmental protection and restoration technologies. Before taking actions that may jeopardize such innovation, responsible officials should carefully consider the impacts on American citizens.
Sec. 4. Assessing the Domestic and Economic Impacts of Undermining Hydraulic Fracturing and Other Technologies. (a) Within 70 days of the date of this memorandum [Oct. 31, 2020], the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, shall submit a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy (who shall act in coordination with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs), assessing:
(i) the economic impacts of prohibiting, or sharply restricting, the use of hydraulic fracturing and other technologies, including the following:
(A) any loss of jobs, wages, benefits, and other economic opportunities by Americans who work in or are indirectly benefited by the energy industry and other industries (including mining for sand and other minerals);
(B) any increases in energy prices (including the prices of gasoline, electricity, heating, and air conditioning) for Americans (including senior citizens and other persons on fixed incomes) and businesses;
(C) any decreases in property values and in the royalties and other revenues that are currently available to private property owners; and
(D) any decreases in tax revenues, impact fees, royalties, and other revenues currently available to the Federal Government, to State and local governments, and to civic institutions (including public schools, trade and vocational schools, community colleges, and other educational and training institutions; hospitals; and medical clinics);
(ii) the trade impacts of prohibiting, or sharply restricting, the use of hydraulic fracturing and other technologies, including impacts on United States exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other energy products, as well as exports of other commodities that may be affected by increases in transportation costs; and
(iii) such other domestic or economic impacts as the Secretary of Energy deems appropriate.
(b) In preparing the report described in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of Energy and the United States Trade Representative shall consult with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Transportation, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Chairman of CEA, the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, and such other officials as the Secretary of Energy and the United States Trade Representative deem appropriate.
Sec. 5. Assessing the National Security Impacts of Undermining Hydraulic Fracturing and Other Technologies. Within 70 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of Energy shall submit a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (who shall act in coordination with the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy), assessing the national security impacts of prohibiting, or sharply restricting, the use of hydraulic fracturing and other technologies. This report shall include an assessment of potential impacts on Russian and Chinese energy production, consumption, and trade activities, and on the energy security of United States allies, that may be attributable to changes in United States exports of LNG and other energy products. In preparing this report, the Secretary of Energy shall consult with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the United States Trade Representative, and such other officials as the Secretary of Energy deems appropriate. This report may be combined, as appropriate, with the report required by section 4 of this memorandum, in which case the combined report shall be submitted to the President through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy.
Sec. 6. Reinforcing Executive Order 13211. (a) Executive Order 13211 of May 18, 2001 (Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use) [42 U.S.C. 13201 note] provides that agencies “shall prepare” detailed Statements of Energy Effects when undertaking certain agency actions that are likely to have a significant adverse impact on the supply, distribution, or use of energy. Such Statements “shall describe” “any adverse effects on energy supply, distribution, or use (including a shortfall in supply, price increases, and increased use of foreign supplies) should the proposal be implemented” and “reasonable alternatives to the action with adverse energy effects and the expected effects of such alternatives on energy supply, distribution, and use.” In order to enhance compliance with Executive Order 13211, I direct the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), through the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), to review the record of compliance with that order by agencies (as defined in that order) and to provide new guidance, as appropriate, concerning the implementation of and compliance with that order.
(b) Within 30 days of the date of this memorandum, the Director of OMB shall, as appropriate, identify for the President, through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy (who shall act in coordination with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs), agencies on which the Administrator of OIRA intends to focus attention to ensure robust compliance with Executive Order 13211.
Sec. 7. Definition. For purposes of this memorandum, the terms “hydraulic fracturing” and “fracking” shall have the meaning assigned to “hydraulic fracturing” in 40 C.F.R. 60.5430.
Sec. 8. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The Secretary of Energy is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
Donald J. Trump.
heading: Ex. Ord. No. 14154. Unleashing American Energy
text: Ex. Ord. No. 14154, Jan. 20, 2025, 90 F.R. 8353, provided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Background. America is blessed with an abundance of energy and natural resources that have historically powered our Nation’s economic prosperity. In recent years, burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations have impeded the development of these resources, limited the generation of reliable and affordable electricity, reduced job creation, and inflicted high energy costs upon our citizens. These high energy costs devastate American consumers by driving up the cost of transportation, heating, utilities, farming, and manufacturing, while weakening our national security.
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.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States:
(a) to encourage energy exploration and production on Federal lands and waters, including on the Outer Continental Shelf, in order to meet the needs of our citizens and solidify the United States as a global energy leader long into the future;
(b) to establish our position as the leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals, including rare earth minerals, which will create jobs and prosperity at home, strengthen supply chains for the United States and its allies, and reduce the global influence of malign and adversarial states;
(c) to protect the United States’s economic and national security and military preparedness by ensuring that an abundant supply of reliable energy is readily accessible in every State and territory of the Nation;
(d) to ensure that all regulatory requirements related to energy are grounded in clearly applicable law;
(e) to eliminate the “electric vehicle (EV) mandate” and promote true consumer choice, which is essential for economic growth and innovation, by removing regulatory barriers to motor vehicle access; by ensuring a level regulatory playing field for consumer choice in vehicles; by terminating, where appropriate, state emissions waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-powered automobiles; and by considering the elimination of unfair subsidies and other ill-conceived government-imposed market distortions that favor EVs over other technologies and effectively mandate their purchase by individuals, private businesses, and government entities alike by rendering other types of vehicles unaffordable;
(f) to safeguard the American people’s freedom to choose from a variety of goods and appliances, including but not limited to lightbulbs, dishwashers, washing machines, gas stoves, water heaters, toilets, and shower heads, and to promote market competition and innovation within the manufacturing and appliance industries;
(g) to ensure that the global effects of a rule, regulation, or action shall, whenever evaluated, be reported separately from its domestic costs and benefits, in order to promote sound regulatory decision making and prioritize the interests of the American people;
(h) to guarantee that all executive departments and agencies (agencies) provide opportunity for public comment and rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific analysis; and
(i) to ensure that no Federal funding be employed in a manner contrary to the principles outlined in this section, unless required by law.
Sec. 3. Immediate Review of All Agency Actions that Potentially Burden the Development of Domestic Energy Resources. (a) The heads of all agencies shall review all existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, settlements, consent orders, and any other agency actions (collectively, agency actions) to identify those agency actions that impose an undue burden on the identification, development, or use of domestic energy resources—with particular attention to oil, natural gas, coal, hydropower, biofuels, critical mineral, and nuclear energy resources—or that are otherwise inconsistent with the policy set forth in section 2 of this order, including restrictions on consumer choice of vehicles and appliances.
(b) Within 30 days of the date of this order [Jan. 20, 2025], the head of each agency shall, in consultation with the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the National Economic Council (NEC), develop and begin implementing action plans to suspend, revise, or rescind all agency actions identified as unduly burdensome under subsection (a) of this section, as expeditiously as possible and consistent with applicable law. The head of any agency who determines that such agency does not have agency actions described in subsection (a) of this section shall submit to the Director of OMB a written statement to that effect and, absent a determination by the Director of OMB that such agency does have agency actions described in this subsection, shall have no further responsibilities under this section.
(c) Agencies shall promptly notify the Attorney General of any steps taken pursuant to subsection (a) of this section so that the Attorney General may, as appropriate:
(i) provide notice of this Executive Order and any such actions to any court with jurisdiction over pending litigation in which such actions may be relevant; and
(ii) request that such court stay or otherwise delay further litigation, or seek other appropriate relief consistent with this order, pending the completion of the administrative actions described in this order.
(d) Pursuant to the policy outlined in section 2 of this order, the Attorney General shall consider whether pending litigation against illegal, dangerous, or harmful policies should be resolved through stays or other relief.
Sec. 4. Revocation of and Revisions to Certain Presidential and Regulatory Actions. (a) The following are revoked and any offices established therein are abolished:
(i) Executive Order 13990 of January 20, 2021 (Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis) [42 U.S.C. 4321 note];
(ii) Executive Order 13992 of January 20, 2021 (Revocation of Certain Executive Orders Concerning Federal Regulation) [5 U.S.C. 551 note];
(iii) Executive Order 14008 of January 27, 2021 (Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad) [42 U.S.C. 4321 note];
(iv) Executive Order 14007 of January 27, 2021 (President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) [42 U.S.C. 6601 note];
(v) Executive Order 14013 of February 4, 2021 (Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration) [8 U.S.C. 1157 note];
(vi) Executive Order 14027 of May 7, 2021 (Establishment of the Climate Change Support Office) [22 U.S.C. 7901 note];
(vii) Executive Order 14030 of May 20, 2021 (Climate-Related Financial Risk) [15 U.S.C. 2901 note];
(viii) Executive Order 14037 of August 5, 2021 (Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks) [42 U.S.C. 7521 note];
(ix) Executive Order 14057 of December 8, 2021 (Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability) [42 U.S.C. 4321 note];
(x) Executive Order 14072 of April 22, 2022 (Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities, and Local Economies) [16 U.S.C. 6501 note];
(xi) Executive Order 14082 of September 12, 2022 (Implementation of the Energy and Infrastructure Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022) [26 U.S.C. 1 note]; and
(xii) Executive Order 14096 of April 21, 2023 (Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All) [42 U.S.C. 4321 note].
(b) All activities, programs, and operations associated with the American Climate Corps, including actions taken by any agency shall be terminated immediately. Within one day of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit a letter to all parties to the “American Climate Corps Memorandum of Understanding” dated December 2023 to terminate the memorandum, and the head of each party to the memorandum shall agree to the termination in writing.
(c) Any assets, funds, or resources allocated to an entity or program abolished by subsection (a) of this section shall be redirected or disposed of in accordance with applicable law.
(d) The head of any agency that has taken action respecting offices and programs in subsection (a) shall take all necessary steps to ensure that all such actions are terminated or, if necessary, appropriate, or required by law, that such activities are transitioned to other agencies or entities.
(e) Any contract or agreement between the United States and any third party on behalf of the entities or programs abolished in subsection (a) of this section, or in furtherance of them, shall be terminated for convenience, or otherwise, as quickly as permissible under the law.
Sec. 5. Unleashing Energy Dominance through Efficient Permitting. (a) Executive Order 11991 of May 24, 1977 (Relating to protection and enhancement of environmental quality) [42 F.R. 26967] is hereby revoked.
(b) To expedite and simplify the permitting process, within 30 days of the date of this order, the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) shall provide guidance on implementing the National Environmental Policy Act [of 1969] (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., and propose rescinding CEQ’s NEPA regulations found at 40 CFR 1500 et seq.
(c) Following the provision of the guidance, the Chairman of CEQ shall convene a working group to coordinate the revision of agency-level implementing regulations for consistency. The guidance in subsection (b) and any resulting implementing regulations must expedite permitting approvals and meet deadlines established in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (Public Law 118–5) [see Tables for classification]. Consistent with applicable law, all agencies must prioritize efficiency and certainty over any other objectives, including those of activist groups, that do not align with the policy goals set forth in section 2 of this order or that could otherwise add delays and ambiguity to the permitting process.
(d) The Secretaries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Homeland Security, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Chairman of CEQ, and the heads of any other relevant agencies shall undertake all available efforts to eliminate all delays within their respective permitting processes, including through, but not limited to, the use of general permitting and permit by rule. For any project an agency head deems essential for the Nation’s economy or national security, agencies shall use all possible authorities, including emergency authorities, to expedite the adjudication of Federal permits. Agencies shall work closely with project sponsors to realize the ultimate construction or development of permitted projects.
(e) The Director of the NEC and the Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs shall jointly prepare recommendations to Congress, which shall:
(i) facilitate the permitting and construction of interstate energy transportation and other critical energy infrastructure, including, but not limited to, pipelines, particularly in regions of the Nation that have lacked such development in recent years; and
(ii) provide greater certainty in the Federal permitting process, including, but not limited to, streamlining the judicial review of the application of NEPA.
Sec. 6. Prioritizing Accuracy in Environmental Analyses. (a) In all Federal permitting adjudications or regulatory processes, all agencies shall adhere to only the relevant legislated requirements for environmental considerations and any considerations beyond these requirements are eliminated. In fulfilling all such requirements, agencies shall strictly use the most robust methodologies of assessment at their disposal and shall not use methodologies that are arbitrary or ideologically motivated.
(b) The Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases (IWG), which was established pursuant to Executive Order 13990, is hereby disbanded, and any guidance, instruction, recommendation, or document issued by the IWG is withdrawn as no longer representative of governmental policy including:
(i) the Presidential Memorandum of January 27, 2021 (Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking) [86 F.R. 8845];
(ii) the Report of the Greenhouse Gas Monitoring and Measurement Interagency Working Group of November 2023 (National Strategy to Advance an Integrated U.S. Greenhouse Gas Measurement, Monitoring, and Information System);
(iii) the Technical Support Document of February 2021 (Social Cost of Carbon, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim Estimates under Executive Order 13990); and
(iv) estimates of the social cost of greenhouse gases, including the estimates for the social cost of carbon, the social cost of methane, or the social cost of nitrous oxide based, in whole or in part, on the IWG’s work or guidance.
(c) The calculation of the “social cost of carbon” is marked by logical deficiencies, a poor basis in empirical science, politicization, and the absence of a foundation in legislation. Its abuse arbitrarily slows regulatory decisions and, by rendering the United States economy internationally uncompetitive, encourages a greater human impact on the environment by affording less efficient foreign energy producers a greater share of the global energy and natural resource market. Consequently, within 60 days of the date of this order, the Administrator of the EPA shall issue guidance to address these harmful and detrimental inadequacies, including consideration of eliminating the “social cost of carbon” calculation from any Federal permitting or regulatory decision.
(d) Prior to the guidance issued pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, agencies shall ensure estimates to assess the value of changes in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from agency actions, including with respect to the consideration of domestic versus international effects and evaluating appropriate discount rates, are, to the extent permitted by law, consistent with the guidance contained in OMB Circular A-4 of September 17, 2003 (Regulatory Analysis).
(e) Furthermore, the head of each agency shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, initiate a process to make such changes to any rule, regulation, policy or action as may be necessary to ensure consistency with the Regulatory Analysis.
(f) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Administrator of the EPA, in collaboration with the heads of any other relevant agencies, shall submit joint recommendations to the Director of OMB on the legality and continuing applicability of the Administrator’s findings, “Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act,” Final Rule, 74 FR 66496 (December 15, 2009).
Sec. 7. Terminating the Green New Deal. (a) All agencies shall immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117–169) [see Tables for classification] or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58) [see Tables for classification], including but not limited to funds for electric vehicle charging stations made available through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program, and shall review their processes, policies, and programs for issuing grants, loans, contracts, or any other financial disbursements of such appropriated funds for consistency with the law and the policy outlined in section 2 of this order. Within 90 days of the date of this order, all agency heads shall submit a report to the Director of the NEC and Director of OMB that details the findings of this review, including recommendations to enhance their alignment with the policy set forth in section 2. No funds identified in this subsection (a) shall be disbursed by a given agency until the Director of OMB and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy have determined that such disbursements are consistent with any review recommendations they have chosen to adopt.
(b) When procuring goods and services, making decisions about leases, and making other arrangements that result in disbursements of Federal funds, agencies shall prioritize cost-effectiveness, American workers and businesses, and the sensible use of taxpayer money, to the greatest extent. The Director of OMB shall finalize and circulate guidelines to further implement this subsection.
(c) All agencies shall assess whether enforcement discretion of authorities and regulations can be utilized to advance the policy outlined in section 2 of this order. Within 30 days of the date of this order, each agency shall submit a report to the Director of OMB identifying any such instances.
Sec. 8. Protecting America’s National Security. (a) The Secretary of Energy is directed restart reviews of applications for approvals of liquified natural gas export projects as expeditiously as possible, consistent with applicable law. In assessing the “Public Interest” to be advanced by any particular application, the Secretary of Energy shall consider the economic and employment impacts to the United States and the impact to the security of allies and partners that would result from granting the application.
(b) With respect to any proposed deepwater port for the export of liquefied natural gas (project) for which a favorable record of decision (ROD) has previously been issued pursuant to the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (DWPA), 33 U.S.C. 1501 et seq., the Administrator of the Maritime Administration (MARAD) shall, within 30 days of the date of this order and consistent with applicable law, determine whether any refinements to the project proposed subsequent to the ROD are likely to result in adverse environmental consequences that substantially differ from those associated with the originally-evaluated project so as to present a seriously different picture of the foreseeable adverse environmental consequences (seriously different consequences). In making this determination, MARAD shall qualitatively assess any difference in adverse environmental consequences between the project with and without the proposed refinements, including any potential consequences not addressed in the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which shall be considered adequate under NEPA notwithstanding any revisions to NEPA that may have been enacted following the final EIS. MARAD shall submit this determination, together with a detailed justification, to the Secretary of Transportation and to the President.
(c) Pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, if MARAD determines that such refinements are not likely to result in seriously different consequences, it shall include in that determination a description of the refinements to supplement and update the ROD, if necessary and then no later than 30 additional days, he shall issue a DWPA license.
(d) If MARAD determines, with concurrence from the Secretary of Transportation, that such proposed refinements are likely to result in seriously different consequences, it shall, within 60 days after submitting such determination, issue an Environmental Assessment (EA) examining such consequences and, with respect to all other environmental consequences not changed due to project refinements, shall reaffirm the conclusions of the final EIS. Within 30 days after issuing the EA, MARAD shall issue an addendum to the ROD, if necessary, and shall, within 30 additional days, issue a DWPA license consistent with the ROD.
Sec. 9. Restoring America’s Mineral Dominance. (a) The Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Administrator of the EPA, Chairman of CEQ, and the heads of any other relevant agencies, as appropriate, shall identify all agency actions that impose undue burdens on the domestic mining and processing of non-fuel minerals and undertake steps to revise or rescind such actions.
(b) The Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture shall reassess any public lands withdrawals for potential revision.
(c) The Secretary of the Interior shall instruct the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey to consider updating the Survey’s list of critical minerals, including for the potential of including uranium.
(d) The Secretary of the Interior shall prioritize efforts to accelerate the ongoing, detailed geologic mapping of the United States, with a focus on locating previously unknown deposits of critical minerals.
(e) The Secretary of Energy shall ensure that critical mineral projects, including the processing of critical minerals, receive consideration for Federal support, contingent on the availability of appropriated funds.
(f) The United States Trade Representative shall assess whether exploitative practices and state-assisted mineral projects abroad are unlawful or unduly burden or restrict United States commerce.
(g) The Secretary of Commerce shall assess the national security implications of the Nation’s mineral reliance and the potential for trade action.
(h) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall assess the quantity and inflow of minerals that are likely the product of forced labor into the United States and whether such inflows pose a threat to national security and, within 90 days of the date of this order, shall provide this assessment to the Director of the NEC.
(i) The Secretary of Defense shall consider the needs of the United States in supplying and maintaining the National Defense Stockpile, review the legal authorities and obligations in managing the National Defense Stockpile, and take all appropriate steps to ensure that the National Defense Stockpile will provide a robust supply of critical minerals in event of future shortfall.
(j) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Labor, the United States Trade Representative, and the heads of any other relevant agencies, shall submit a report to the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy that includes policy recommendations to enhance the competitiveness of American mining and refining companies in other mineral-wealthy nations.
(k) The Secretary of State shall consider opportunities to advance the mining and processing of minerals within the United States through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.
Sec. 10. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of OMB relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented in a manner consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Donald J. Trump.
heading: Ex. Ord. No. 14213. Establishing the National Energy Dominance Council
text: Ex. Ord. No. 14213, Feb. 14, 2025, 90 F.R. 9945, provided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Policy. America is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and is a leader in energy technologies and innovation that are critical to the economic prosperity and national security of the American people, as well as our partners and allies. We must expand all forms of reliable and affordable energy production to drive down inflation, grow our economy, create good-paying jobs, reestablish American leadership in manufacturing, lead the world in artificial intelligence, and restore peace through strength by wielding our commercial and diplomatic levers to end wars across the world. By utilizing our amazing national assets, including our crude oil, natural gas, lease condensates, natural gas liquids, refined petroleum products, uranium, coal, biofuels, geothermal heat, the kinetic movement of flowing water, and critical minerals, we will preserve and protect our most beautiful places, reduce our dependency on foreign imports, and grow our economy—thereby enabling the reduction of our deficits and our debt.
It shall be the policy of my Administration to make America energy dominant.
Sec. 2. Establishment. There is hereby established within the Executive Office of the President the National Energy Dominance Council (Council).
Sec. 3. Membership. (a) The Secretary of the Interior shall serve as Chair of the Council. The Secretary of Energy shall serve as Vice Chair of the Council.
(b) In addition to the Chair and the Vice Chair, the Council shall consist of the following members:
(i) the Secretary of State;
(ii) the Secretary of the Treasury;
(iii) the Secretary of Defense;
(iv) the Attorney General;
(v) the Secretary of Agriculture;
(vi) the Secretary of Commerce;
(vii) the Secretary of Transportation;
(viii) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
(ix) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
(x) the United States Trade Representative;
(xi) the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy;
(xii) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy;
(xiii) the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs;
(xiv) the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy;
(xv) the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality;
(xvi) the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers;
(xvii) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and
(xviii) the heads of such other executive departments and agencies (agencies) as the President may, from time to time, designate.
Sec. 4. Functions. (a) The Chair shall convene and preside over meetings of the Council, in consultation with the Office of the Chief of Staff, provided that in his absence the Vice Chair shall preside.
(b) The Council shall:
(i) advise the President on how best to exercise his authority to produce more energy to make America energy dominant;
(ii) advise the President on improving the processes for permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, and export of all forms of American energy, including critical minerals;
(iii) provide to the President a recommended National Energy Dominance Strategy to produce more energy that includes long-range goals for achieving energy dominance by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the energy-producing economy, focusing on innovation, and seeking to eliminate longstanding, but unnecessary, regulation;
(iv) advise and assist the President in facilitating cooperation among the Federal Government and domestic private sector energy partners; and
(v) advise the President on facilitating consistency in energy production policies included in the Strategy developed under subsection (b)(iii) of this section.
(c) In performing the advisory functions listed under subsection (b) of this section, the Council, through the Chair, shall, when appropriate, coordinate with the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. The functions of the Council shall report to the Office of the Chief of Staff.
(d) Within 100 days of the date of this order [Feb. 14, 2025], and from time to time thereafter as deemed appropriate by the Chair, the Council shall:
(i) recommend to the President a plan to raise awareness on a national level of matters related to energy dominance, such as the urgency of reliable energy; the improvements in technology achieved through reliable energy sources; the national security concerns with removing reliable and affordable energy sources; the jobs supported by the energy sector; and the regulatory constraints driving up the cost of reliable energy to consumers;
(ii) advise the President regarding the actions each agency can take under existing authorities to prioritize the policy objective of increasing energy production, such as rapidly and significantly increasing electricity capacity; rapidly facilitating approvals for energy infrastructure; approving the construction of natural gas pipelines to, or in, New England, California, Alaska, and other areas of the country underserved by American natural gas; facilitating the reopening of closed power plants; and bringing Small Modular Nuclear Reactors online;
(iii) provide to the President a review of markets most critical to power American homes, cars, and factories with reliable, abundant, and affordable energy;
(iv) advise the President regarding incentives to attract and retain private sector energy-production investments;
(v) advise the President on identifying and ending practices that raise the cost of energy; and
(vi) consult with officials from State, local, and Tribal governments and individuals from the private sector to solicit feedback on how best to expand all forms of energy production.
Sec. 5. Administration. (a) The Council shall have such staff and other assistance as may be necessary to carry out its functions.
(b) Agencies shall cooperate with the Council and provide such assistance, information, and advice to the Council related to policies that affect energy dominance as the Chair or, at the Chair’s direction, the Vice Chair, shall reasonably request, to the extent permitted by law.
Sec. 6. Representation on the National Security Council. The Secretary of the Interior, as Chair of the Council, shall serve as a standing member of the National Security Council.
Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Donald J. Trump.
heading: Ex. Ord. No. 14260. Protecting American Energy From State Overreach
text: Ex. Ord. No. 14260, Apr. 8, 2025, 90 F.R. 15513, provided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. My Administration is committed to unleashing American energy, especially through the removal of all illegitimate impediments to the identification, development, siting, production, investment in, or use of domestic energy resources—particularly oil, natural gas, coal, hydropower, geothermal, biofuel, critical mineral, and nuclear energy resources. An affordable and reliable domestic energy supply is essential to the national and economic security of the United States, as well as our foreign policy. Simply put, Americans are better off when the United States is energy dominant.
American energy dominance is threatened when State and local governments seek to regulate energy beyond their constitutional or statutory authorities. For example, when States target or discriminate against out-of-State energy producers by imposing significant barriers to interstate and international trade, American energy suffers, and the equality of each State enshrined by the Constitution is undermined. Similarly, when States subject energy producers to arbitrary or excessive fines through retroactive penalties or seek to control energy development, siting, or production activities on Federal land, American energy suffers.
Many States have enacted, or are in the process of enacting, burdensome and ideologically motivated “climate change” or energy policies that threaten American energy dominance and our economic and national security. New York, for example, enacted a “climate change” extortion law that seeks to retroactively impose billions in fines (erroneously labelled “compensatory payments”) on traditional energy producers for their purported past contributions to greenhouse gas emissions not only in New York but also anywhere in the United States and the world. Vermont similarly extorts energy producers for alleged past contributions to greenhouse gas emissions anywhere in the United States or the globe.
Other States have taken different approaches in an effort to dictate national energy policy. California, for example, punishes carbon use by adopting impossible caps on the amount of carbon businesses may use, all but forcing businesses to pay large sums to “trade” carbon credits to meet California’s radical requirements. Some States delay review of permit applications to produce energy, creating de facto barriers to entry in the energy market. States have also sued energy companies for supposed “climate change” harm under nuisance or other tort regimes that could result in crippling damages.
These State laws and policies weaken our national security and devastate Americans by driving up energy costs for families coast-to-coast, despite some of these families not living or voting in States with these crippling policies. These laws and policies also undermine Federalism by projecting the regulatory preferences of a few States into all States. Americans must be permitted to heat their homes, fuel their cars, and have peace of mind—free from policies that make energy more expensive and inevitably degrade quality of life.
These State laws and policies try to dictate interstate and international disputes over air, water, and natural resources; unduly discriminate against out-of-State businesses; contravene the equality of States; and retroactively impose arbitrary and excessive fines without legitimate justification.
These State laws and policies are fundamentally irreconcilable with my Administration’s objective to unleash American energy. They should not stand.
Sec. 2. State Laws and Causes of Action. (a) The Attorney General, in consultation with the heads of appropriate executive departments and agencies, shall identify all State and local laws, regulations, causes of action, policies, and practices (collectively, State laws) burdening the identification, development, siting, production, or use of domestic energy resources that are or may be unconstitutional, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable. The Attorney General shall prioritize the identification of any such State laws purporting to address “climate change” or involving “environmental, social, and governance” initiatives, “environmental justice,” carbon or “greenhouse gas” emissions, and funds to collect carbon penalties or carbon taxes.
(b) The Attorney General shall expeditiously take all appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State laws and continuation of civil actions identified in subsection (a) of this section that the Attorney General determines to be illegal.
(c) Within 60 days of the date of this order [Apr. 8, 2025], the Attorney General shall submit a report to the President, through the Counsel to the President, regarding actions taken under subsection (b) of this section. The Attorney General shall also recommend any additional Presidential or legislative action necessary to stop the enforcement of State laws identified in subsection (a) of this section that the Attorney General determines to be illegal or otherwise fulfill the purpose of this order.
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Donald J. Trump.