By Carly Dempsey
During his campaign, Donald Trump vowed to increase U.S. oil and gas production while holding firm in the criticism of renewable energy sources made since his first candidacy. Starting on his first day in office, he showed that he intends to keep his promise.
An announcement of President Trump’s priorities included a section on energy and environmental actions under the heading “Make America Affordable and Energy Dominant Again.” They include an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change and defunding the U.S. International Climate Finance Plan. Trump also rescinded more than 10 previous presidential orders concerning climate and the environment.
These actions come as clean energy has undergone major growth over these past few years. The amount of energy produced annually in the U.S. from renewable sources surpassed nuclear power in 2021 and coal in 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Renewable sources accounted for 22% of the country’s power generation last year.
As wind and solar have become less expensive sources of energy than fossil fuels, most Americans support continuing to increase their use. A study from Pew Research Center in 2023 found that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults prioritize “the development of alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and hydrogen power over increasing the production of fossil fuel energy sources.”
But Trump’s first wave of executive order showed that he aims to take the country in the opposite direction, which he declared was needed because the U.S. faces an “energy emergency.” This is despite U.S. energy production exceeding domestic consumption of energy last year by the widest margin ever, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration records dating back to 1949.
Trump revoked former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal of oil leasing agreements while clearing the way for big oil and mining companies to lease U.S. land for drilling and the mining of rare earth metals. One executive order calls to “rescind, revoke, revise, amend, defer, or grant exemptions from any and all regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and any other similar agency actions” to make way for the usage of Alaskan lands for energy development.
This includes the largely controversial Alaska LNG project, which calls for an average about 3.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day to be pulled from the with and much of it going to international markets, not American civilians. It also removes protections to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for energy production.
Trump also ordered the halting of wind energy projects on federal lands and waters, putting a damper on efforts to make the U.S. more energy independent. Wind currently produces 10.1% of the country’s electricity, with most coming from privately owned and maintained projects in Texas and other “wind belt” states. There are only three large offshore wind farms fully operational, but large numbers are currently going through development.
This large list, loosely covering the administration’s first week of action, shows the federal government pushing oil and gas production in conflict with recent trends and public opinion. The public has shown in recent years the desire for more affordable and sustainable options, not one or the other.
It raises questions about what the administration’s biggest priority is: maintaining energy independence or waging a war against renewables.
Carly Dempsey recently graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a major in biological science and a minor in political science. She is currently finishing her manuscript for research in the FAU aquatic botany and ecology lab. Banner photo: Solar panels and wind turbines (iStock image).
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