President Donald Trump has pledged to increase fossil fuel production in his second term, shifting focus away from clean energy sources. This could be achieved by opening up more public lands and waters for oil and gas leases, easing regulatory processes, or rescinding policies like the pause on permits for liquefied natural gas exports.
President Donald Trump has pledged to increase fossil fuel production in his second term, a stark shift from the Biden administration’s emphasis on clean energy sources.
Avenues for Increasing Fossil Fuel Production
1. Opening Up More Public Lands and Waters
As president, Trump will oversee the Interior Department, which includes the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), both of which manage a substantial fraction of the country’s public lands and waters. He’ll also oversee the Agriculture Department, which contains the Forest Service, another body that has oversight of some public lands.
The BLM, BOEM, and Forest Service are responsible for issuing oil and gas leases on public spaces. These leases effectively allow fossil fuel companies to rent parcels of public land from the federal government so they can extract resources from these areas. Once land is designated as available for lease, leases are typically auctioned off to the highest bidder.
2. Easing Regulatory Processes
Trump could use the executive branch’s authority to rescind certain proposals and ease regulatory processes that govern fossil fuel work. This includes:
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Rescinding policies like the pause on permits for liquefied natural gas exports
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Expediting federal approvals for oil- and gas-related projects
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Utilizing the Congressional Review Act to roll back rules that agencies have recently put in place
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Passing new legislation to undo policies like the methane fee imposed on oil and gas companies
Limitations and Challenges
While Trump has the power to try making good on his campaign pledge, it may not work out the way he promised. The Biden administration’s policies, such as the pause on permits for liquefied natural gas exports and the imposition of a methane fee on oil and gas companies, will need to be undone or repealed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Trump has the power to try making good on his campaign pledge to increase fossil fuel production, it may not work out the way he promised. The Biden administration’s policies and the market for fossil fuels are significant challenges that Trump must overcome in order to achieve his goal.
