President Donald Trump on Feb. 14 issued an executive order calling for the establishment of the National Energy Dominance Council.
Purpose of the Council
To be led by the secretary of the interior as chairperson and secretary of energy as vice chair, the council will work to provide the president with advice on a variety of issues, including how presidential authority can be exercised to maximize energy production using national assets like oil, gas and critical minerals, and how processes governing the production, regulation and export of American energy can be improved.
Also part of the council’s responsibilities is the development of a national strategy that will help facilitate energy dominance “by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the energy-producing economy, focusing on innovation, and seeking to eliminate longstanding, but unnecessary, regulation.”
Ensuring Energy Security
Commenting on the issuance of the EO, Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky, who serves as chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, said, “Energy security is national security. By utilizing our domestic energy resources to create baseload power, we can lower prices, secure our grid, and provide the energy needed to grow manufacturing, heat our homes, and fill our gas tanks.”
“The creation of this council under the leadership of [Energy Secretary Chris Wright] and [Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum] is a strong step toward securing our energy future, and ensuring we have the resources necessary to meet the demands that AI will place on our grid,” Guthrie added.
Powering US Manufacturing
For his part, Jay Timmons, the president and CEO of advocacy group National Association of Manufacturers, praised the establishment of the council, saying the move shows the administration’s “commitment to ensuring manufacturers have the energy they need to drive economic growth.”
“The National Energy Dominance Council, under the leadership of Interior Secretary Burgum and Energy Secretary Wright, will help power the future of manufacturing in America because when manufacturing wins, America wins,” Timmons said.
