Trump to Create White House Council to Drive Energy Dominance

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump on Friday is slated to sign an order creating a “national energy dominance council,” and will task it with steering US policy on the issue, underscoring his commitment to driving already record-setting domestic oil and gas production. 

The new White House council will be helmed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright as its vice-chair, said a senior administration official, who asked not to be named because the directive is not yet public. The council is meant to shape energy policy across the federal government and help mobilize the permitting, production and distribution of oil, gas, electricity and other resources.

Trump has prioritized domestic energy production, casting America’s abundant oil and gas as “liquid gold” that’s a source of both geopolitical strength and economic might. At the same time, Trump and top deputies have emphasized the need for reliable, inexpensive electricity to help power the US as it competes in a global race to dominate artificial intelligence technology. 

The council, which will include other members of Trump’s cabinet, will be directed to develop strategies to achieve energy dominance including by improving permitting processes and addressing regulation, the official said. It’s meant to apply across all forms of American energy. 

Trump will task the panel with recommending a national energy dominance strategy, and the panel will consult with private stakeholders in formulating its plans and considering how to address cost barriers, the official said.

The council will be established within the executive office of the president, signifying its key role.

Trump has vowed to unleash American oil and gas production, making the commitment a cornerstone of his presidential campaign and his bid to lower consumer prices. Top Trump advisers also see increased US energy production, along with extended tax cuts, as key to blunting higher costs tied to new tariffs on imported goods. 

Previous presidents have used similar approaches to direct energy and environmental policy from the White House. Former President Joe Biden created a National Climate Task Force to chart what he called a whole-of-government approach to countering global warming. And former President George W. Bush launched a National Energy Policy Development Group — led by former Vice President Dick Cheney — that recommended scores of policy changes to promote reliable and affordable energy.

Trump first raised the prospect of an energy czar to help coordinate policy actions during his presidential campaign last year. At the time, some advisers envisioned an approach similar to the climate team Biden tapped to quarterback environmental actions across his administration, said people familiar with the matter who sought anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

However, Burgum sought the council leadership role in addition to serving as Interior secretary, the people said, and Trump memorialized the dual assignment in a social-media post last November. The council leadership position means Burgum will be seeking to shepherd policy and direct actions by his peers in Trump’s cabinet.

White House officials deliberated in recent weeks over how much authority the new energy council should have to chart administration policy, according to some of the people familiar with the matter. Among their considerations: how to staff energy-focused experts within the top ranks of the administration across the National Economic Council directed by Kevin Hassett and Burgum’s energy council. 

The council’s members represent federal agencies that share responsibility for regulating different elements of the energy landscape. Burgum’s Interior Department, for instance, oversees coal mining, oil drilling and renewable power production across some 500 million acres of public land and the nation’s federal waters. 

The Energy Department manages the nation’s emergency oil stockpile as well as the country’s national laboratories, which are hubs for innovation on nuclear energy, solar power and other technologies. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency regulates pollution from power plants, vehicles and oil and gas operations. 

Under Trump, federal agencies are expected to unwind Biden-era regulations that curb oil demand and raise the cost of production. Still, there are limits to how much any president can do to drive more drilling in the field. Oil executives have shown little appetite to dramatically boost output as they focus on shareholder returns.

Trump has concentrated his energy push on fossil fuels, even going so far as to extend emergency expedited treatment to oil and gas while shunning wind and solar power. 

Trump has a cadre of unofficial and official advisers on energy, including Wright, the former chief executive officer of oilfield services company Liberty Energy Inc., and Harold Hamm, the chairman of Continental Resources Inc. Burgum developed firsthand experience with the oil industry as the former governor of crude-rich North Dakota.

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