The American energy industry was paralyzed by years of regulatory roadblocks.
President Trump’s new Interior Secretary just crushed through them overnight.
And Doug Burgum bulldozed Biden’s energy blockade with one 28-day rule that left activists stunned.
Trump declares National Energy Emergency as Interior Department fast-tracks American energy dominance
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced sweeping new measures that will slash the bureaucratic red tape strangling America’s energy sector.
In a bold move that has environmental activists and Democrat lawmakers up in arms, the Interior Department unveiled emergency permitting procedures that will reduce multi-year energy project approvals to just 28 days.
“The United States cannot afford to wait,” Secretary Burgum declared in an official statement on April 23. “President Trump has made it clear that our energy security is national security, and these emergency procedures reflect our unwavering commitment to protecting both.”
This dramatic policy shift comes in direct response to President Trump’s declaration of a National Energy Emergency, which identified that “current delays in energy project approvals pose significant risks to the nation’s economic stability, national security, and foreign policy interests.”
Environmental reviews slashed from years to days
Under the Biden Administration, energy companies faced a bureaucratic labyrinth that could delay vital projects for years.
The new emergency procedures introduce a dramatically accelerated timeline:
- Projects requiring an environmental assessment, which normally took up to a year, will now be reviewed in approximately 14 days
- Projects needing a full environmental impact statement, typically a two-year process, will be completed in roughly 28 days
- Endangered Species Act consultations will follow an expedited emergency process
- Historic preservation reviews will be completed in just seven days
Environmental groups are outraged, claiming the accelerated timeline undermines decades of environmental protections. But Secretary Burgum isn’t backing down.
“By reducing a multi-year permitting process down to just 28 days, the Department will lead with urgency, resolve, and a clear focus on strengthening the nation’s energy independence,” Burgum stated.
Trump fulfills campaign promise on American energy
The emergency procedures apply to a wide range of energy resources that will help secure America’s energy future, including crude oil, natural gas, coal, uranium, biofuels, geothermal, hydropower, and critical minerals.
This dramatic action fulfills one of President Trump’s core campaign promises to unleash American energy dominance and reverse the Biden Administration’s war on domestic production.
The National Energy Emergency declaration specifically notes that “Our Nation’s current inadequate development of domestic energy resources leaves us vulnerable to hostile foreign actors and poses an imminent and growing threat to the United States’ prosperity and national security.”
During the Biden years, America went from energy independence to begging hostile foreign regimes for oil. Gas prices skyrocketed, hitting working families hard at the pump.
President Trump is rapidly unwinding that damage.
Department of Interior moving at breakneck speed
This is just one of several major energy initiatives the Interior Department has unleashed in recent days.
On April 18, the agency announced the Eleventh National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, opening up vast offshore areas for energy development that had been restricted under Biden.
The same day, the Trump Administration added key mining projects to the federal government’s FAST-41 program, which helps coordinate and expedite permits for critical infrastructure.
Under Secretary Burgum’s leadership, the Department of the Interior is clearly executing President Trump’s vision for American energy dominance with remarkable speed.
Democrats and environmental groups are already threatening lawsuits to block these emergency measures, claiming they subvert longstanding environmental protections.
But the administration appears ready for the fight, with the emergency declaration specifically crafted to withstand legal challenges by citing national security concerns.
Lower energy costs for American families, energy independence from hostile foreign powers, and thousands of high-paying jobs are now on the horizon – if the environmental lobby doesn’t succeed in derailing American energy prosperity in the courts.
For everyday Americans struggling with high costs from the Biden era, this is welcome news that could bring relief at the pump and on their utility bills in the months ahead.
Political Animal News will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
