“These measures may apply to the entire spectrum of the US energy industry”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
The move is expected to be one of several steps Trump will take, hours after being sworn in on Monday, to fulfill campaign promises to increase domestic energy production.
The president-elect is poised to push through changes that would allow new oil and gas fields to be developed on federal lands while leading a rollback of Biden-era climate rules, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
While many of the executive branch’s actions will simply kick-start a lengthy regulatory process, they will affect the entire spectrum of the US energy sector, from oil fields to car dealerships. They also highlight Trump’s determination to reorient the federal government’s policy on oil and gas production, a sharp departure from Biden’s efforts to limit the use of fossil fuels.
It’s unclear how the energy emergency declaration will be used, though the president could unlock special powers to transport oil and use the power to manage changes in the way electricity is produced and transmitted.
“We will use our extraordinary powers to allow countries, entrepreneurs and people with a lot of money to build big factories, factories with artificial intelligence. We need twice as much energy as we already have, and eventually there will be more,” Trump said during the speech.
A state of emergency declaration allows the president to use up to 150 special powers normally reserved for dealing with hurricanes, terrorist attacks and other unforeseen events, according to a report by the Brennan Center for Justice.
However, it is currently unclear whether Trump will be able to successfully use them to achieve his goal of building new power plants. During his first term, he tried to use special powers to help keep unprofitable coal and nuclear plants across the country from closing, citing emergency powers. These efforts were eventually abandoned.
Today, January 20, is the inauguration of Donald Trump.