Publication | Executive Actions Monitor

    Executive Actions Affecting Energy

    2025 Presidential Actions
    BACK TO EXECUTIVE ACTIONS MONITOR

    These executive order (EO) summaries are based on a cursory review; our lawyers and policy professionals continue to analyze these documents, and the directives they contain. Among other things, some of the directed actions may present significant constitutional questions that could be litigated and subsequently overturned or blocked.


    May 23, 2025

    Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security

    An EO prioritizing the development of nuclear energy and advanced reactor technologies for defense purposes. This includes, among other initiatives, instructing the Secretary of Defense to construct and operate a nuclear reactor at a domestic military base, instructing the Secretary of Energy to identify useful material for nuclear fuel within its inventory and designate sites for advanced nuclear reactor development and directing the Secretary of State to promote the export of American civil nuclear technology to partner countries.

     
    May 23, 2025

    Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

    An EO restructuring the NRC with the stated goal of reforming and modernizing the Commission’s review process to increase American adoption of nuclear energy by eliminating regulations on nuclear energy that do not contribute to public safety. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    May 23, 2025

    Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy

    An EO directing the Secretary of Energy to expedite the review, approval and deployment of advanced nuclear test reactors, including streamlining the environmental review process and creating a pilot program for the construction of test reactors outside the National Laboratories. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    May 23, 2025

    Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base

    An EO instructing the Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Transportation and Director of the Office of Management and Budget to submit a report to the President that details a national policy to manage and/or recycle spent nuclear fuel, as well as instructing the Department of Energy to prioritize construction of new nuclear reactors, as well as upgrades and/or restarts of existing reactors. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    April 24, 2025

    Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources

    An EO directing the Secretary of Commerce and other relevant officials to undertake various actions aimed at improving domestic seabed mineral exploration, extraction and processing, including by expediting licensing and approval processes and identifying priority seabed areas. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    April 15, 2025

    Ensuring National Security and Economic Resilience Through Section 232 Actions on Processed Critical Minerals and Derivative Products

    An EO directing the Secretary of Commerce to initiate an investigation to determine the effects of critical mineral important on national security. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    April 9, 2025

    Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads

    An EO directing the Secretary of Energy to rescind a regulation defining “showerhead.” A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    April 8, 2025

    Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 14241

    An EO directing cabinet members to take actions to reinvigorate the coal industry. This includes identifying and removing barriers to the mining of coal on federal lands, prioritizing coal extraction and coal-fired electricity generation, the removal of any guidance or rulemaking which seeks to transition the nation away from coal generation and the reclassification of coal as a mineral entitled to all benefits under EO 14241. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    April 8, 2025

    Protecting American Energy From State Overreach

    An EO directing the Attorney General to identify all State and Local laws that may burden the development of domestic energy production, which may be preempted by federal law, and to bring civil actions to enjoin their enforcement. This order highlights laws that purport to address climate change, environmental, social and governance (ESG), environmental justice, greenhouse gas emissions or the collection of carbon taxes. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    April 8, 2025

    Strengthening the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid

    An EO directing the Secretary of Energy to streamline permitting for power grid projects, and to develop a methodology to track region-specific energy reserve needs. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    March 20, 2025

    Immediate Measures To Increase American Mineral Production

    An EO directing various actions to streamline and increase domestic critical mineral production, including identifying priority projects for permitting, soliciting industry feedback on regulatory bottlenecks, prioritizing federal land use for mineral production, and using the National Security Capital Forum to facilitate mineral production projects. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    February 14, 2025

    Establishing the National Energy Dominance Council

    An EO establishing the National Energy Dominance Council to advise the President on energy policy and provide recommendations for achieving US energy dominance. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    January 20, 2025

    Unleashing American Energy

    An EO outlining a series of measures aimed at increasing domestic energy production and utilization of natural resources. The EO mandates an immediate review of agency actions that potentially burden the development of domestic energy resources, revokes 13 energy-related EOs from the Biden administration, disbands the American Climate Corps, resumes reviews of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects, instructs agency leaders to prioritize domestic mining and processing and includes provisions to streamline the permitting process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It also includes a section titled “Terminating the Green New Deal” that directs an immediate pause on the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). A memorandum providing guidance with regard to the disbursement freeze can be found on the White House website.

     
    January 20, 2025

    Declaring a National Energy Emergency

    An EO directing federal agency leadership to exercise lawful emergency authorities to facilitate the production of domestic energy resources and to expedite the completion of all authorized and appropriated infrastructure, energy, environmental and natural resources projects. The EO further directs the Secretary of the Army to provide a report on actions to facilitate the nation’s energy supply that may be subject to emergency treatment and directs the Secretaries of Interior and Energy to coordinate an infrastructure assistance assessment.
     
    January 20, 2025

    Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential

    An EO directing all relevant agencies to prioritize the development of Alaska’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) potential, rescinding the cancellation of leases within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and directing the Secretary of the Interior to take several actions aimed at expediting the permitting and leasing of energy and natural resource projects in Alaska.
     
    January 20, 2025

    Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf From Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects

    A memorandum on wind energy leasing and permitting. The memorandum withdraws all areas within the Offshore Continental Shelf (OCS) from disposition for wind energy leasing and temporarily halts federal wind leasing and permitting practices for immediate review.