Trump is seizing wartime powers in a battle for more fossil fuels

President Donald Trump’s declaration of an energy emergency opens the door to sweeping Cold War-era powers and little-known agencies to fast-track pipelines, expand power grids and keep the fight against coal plants alive.

Calling for the nation’s national and economic security, the plan lays the groundwork for energy projects to move forward at an unprecedented pace — even if it involves encroaching on habitat for endangered species or tapping capacity normally reserved for wartime.

The president has directed federal agencies to review statutes and regulations to find obscure rules that allow him to facilitate the production of more oil, natural gas and electricity, and to approve the construction of pipelines and power lines needed to move it.

The declaration Trump signed after taking office on Monday lays the groundwork for pushing the boundaries of national security to achieve his energy priorities, potentially going even further than former President Joe Biden in his own quest to combat climate change.

“This is government policy in an age of government — not regulations,” said Kevin Book, managing director of ClearView Energy Partners LLC, a Washington consulting firm.

Critics say the idea of ​​an energy emergency atmosphere flies in the face of high oil and gas production. The US has cemented its position as the world’s top crude producer in recent years, with record production far surpassing any other nation.

One of the biggest changes Trump is pushing is speeding up project reviews using emergency consultations under the Endangered Species Act. Usually reserved for natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes, the process allows for faster approval of projects that could harm—but not completely endanger—wildlife at risk.

Trump also ordered quarterly meetings of a committee of cabinet-level officials who have the authority to green-light even when the survival of a species is at risk. The panel – known as the “God Squad” – has met only a handful of times over the past four decades.

“They’re certainly digging deep to use fairly specific exceptions,” said Noah Greenwald, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s species program. “This executive order is a death warrant for polar bears, lesser prairie chickens, whooping cranes and many other endangered species.”

Industry leaders have long complained that conservationists have weaponized the Endangered Species Act to challenge plans to expand oil drilling, power plant construction and mine development.

During Trump’s first term, efforts to protect the sage grouse—whose habitat overlaps with simple oil slicks—stopped plans to expand drilling in the western U.S.

Supporters of Trump’s latest move say it shifts the balance, speeding up approval while protecting species.

“We have a permit that takes too long and is abusive,” said Andrew Black, president of the Liquid Energy Pipeline Association.

White House officials said Trump would take a balanced approach.

“Just as he did in his first term, President Trump is promoting conservatism and environmental stewardship, promoting economic growth for Americans across the country, opening up our energy—which is much cleaner than oil and gas in foreign countries—and lowering the price.” , – said Harrison Fields, deputy deputy press secretary of the White House.

– Jennifer A. Dluhi and Ari Nutter / Bloomberg News