Winston’s Environmental Law Update

On April 8, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) titled “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry.” This order aims to enhance the United States’ “economic prosperity and national security, lower the cost of living, and provide for increases in electrical demand from emerging technologies” by increasing domestic energy production via coal. The order emphasizes coal’s role in lowering electricity costs, stabilizing the grid, creating high-paying jobs, and supporting burgeoning industries.

On April 8, 2025, President Trump signed the “Regulatory Relief for Certain Stationary Sources to Promote American Energy” Proclamation (the “Proclamation”) extending the compliance deadline for certain stationary sources, such as coal-fired power plants, that are subject to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units, 89 FR 38508 (the “Rule”) that was promulgated in 2024.

On January 29, 2025, Lee Zeldin, former New York Congressman and President Trump’s new Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was confirmed.  Administrator Zeldin announced the EPA’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative, which is aiming to “achieve the agency’s mission while energizing the greatness of the American economy.” 

On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (“EO”) 14156 declaring a national energy emergency under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.). Citing inadequate domestic energy production as a national security and economic threat, the EO directs federal agencies to invoke emergency powers to expedite regulatory approvals and accelerate energy infrastructure development and production. This reflects a significant shift in federal energy policy, elevating the role of domestic fossil fuel development in achieving U.S. energy independence.

On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) titled “Unleashing American Energy,” aimed at prioritizing the expansion of energy production on federal lands and waters. This includes American territory on the Outer Continental Shelf, which is intended to lead to an increase in offshore drilling. 

On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order (the EO), “Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements.

On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order for the purpose of “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.”