Staff Reports
President Donald Trump wasted no time after taking the oath of office once again, executing a flurry of executive orders that effectively sent former President Joe Biden’s climate agenda packing. With an approach reminiscent of a tornado in a trailer park, the new administration declared an “energy emergency” while declaring open season on fossil fuels. It appears that the only green initiative Trump is interested in is the kind made from cash, with oil rigs standing poised to transform the landscape.
The radical changes to U.S. energy policy under Trump are being compared to some of the most significant shifts since the 1970s oil crisis. Biden had staked much of his early presidency on environmental initiatives, such as rejoining the Paris Agreement—a coffee break that cost nothing and did nothing but provide a nice bumper sticker for the left. In stark contrast, Trump’s recent actions indicate he was ready to flip the switch back to profit-driven energy production. This includes a robust plan to mine essential minerals for national security and expedite approval processes for energy projects on public lands.
Drill Baby Drill:
Trump guts Biden’s climate agenda in no-holds-barred deluge of pro-fossil fuel executive ordershttps://t.co/wcyqIoAdTk pic.twitter.com/Rey53VNxTR— STK (@YupFedUp) January 23, 2025
For those keeping score at home, Trump’s “energy emergency” has instigated a revival of offshore drilling, unequivocally rolling back one of Biden’s last nail-in-the-coffin regulations against fossil fuels. With a flick of the pen, Trump not only pulled America out of the Paris Agreement but also pledged to enhance energy resources in Alaska, a place just waiting for some serious drilling action. The aforementioned cascade of pro-fossil fuel executive orders has set the stage for what seems to be an all-out ‘drill, baby, drill’ revival, much to the dismay of environmental groups and their ever-bellowing “save the planet” battle cries.
However, it might not all be smooth sailing for this energy renaissance. Observers are already anticipating a lawsuit barrage from environmental activists armed with deep pockets and an unquenchable thirst for litigation. Groups like EarthJustice are primed to pounce with claims that Trump’s ventures threaten critical habitats—because nothing says “saving the planet” quite like squeezing the life out of American energy independence. As they prepare to fight tooth and nail against energy expansion, one has to wonder if these lawyers ever consider where their energy comes from while typing away in their air-conditioned offices.
To throw a wrench into the optimism, experts suggest that even as Trump galvanizes energy infrastructure, the actual drilling boom may not live up to the hype. The murmurs among analysts indicate that while investment in infrastructure like pipelines may indeed be on the horizon, the real boon in oil production remains elusive. Analysts point out that a lasting spike in oil prices is crucial for companies to take the money plunge into production, which, until recent price increases, had been dancing around the $70-per-barrel mark.
In the end, Trump’s return to the energy table looks to be a mixed bag—expect major strides in infrastructure development and a perhaps-overlooked budding of renewability in the fossil fuel realm. As for whether this will pave the way for an all-out drilling extravaganza? Only time will tell. In the meantime, one thing is for certain: it’s a good day for fossil fuels and, hopefully, for the American wallets that benefit. Ultimately, the triumph of U.S. oil and gas expands beyond energy; it’s a resurrection story for the American consumer, rising from the ashes of spending sprees buoyed by empty climate promises.
