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What to know about Donald Trump’s planned ‘national energy emergency’ declaration
Incoming President Donald Trump will declare a “national energy emergency” and roll back Biden-era environmental protections after he’s sworn into office, White House officials said Monday morning.
The new administration will enact a suite of reforms geared towards boosting U.S. fossil fuel production at a time when the country has set records as the biggest energy producer in the history of the world.
Those reforms will include reopening parts of Alaska for energy exploration, and getting rid of a requirement on auto manufacturers to phase down greenhouse gas emissions from cars.
Officials touted the plans as a way to lower costs for consumers and supply energy for technologies important for national security. They will set back the country’s progress when it comes to addressing climate change.
What will the executive orders say?
By declaring a national emergency on energy, Trump will make it a priority of his administration to increase the domestic production of oil and other forms of fossil-fuel energy, officials said. It comes as U.S. crude oil production has already hit an all-time high over the past year.
Another executive order by Trump will roll back environmental protections in parts of Alaska, which officials called a “geostrategic” location, after Biden took action to limit both oil and gas drilling and mining in the state.
The scope of the Alaska order wasn’t immediately clear, though Trump has promised to work to overturn Biden’s recent action to ban offshore drilling on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
The administration will also end the so-called “electric vehicle mandate,” Trump’s phrase for a Environmental Protection Agency rule that requires auto manufacturers cut greenhouse gas emissions by half in new light- and medium-duty vehicles beginning in 2027.
Trump, who campaigned on lowering costs for consumers, will also sign a presidential memorandum directing government agencies to focus on bringing down inflation.
Other actions are aimed at cutting “red tape” and “regulations” that have hurt the American economy, officials said. It wasn’t immediately clear which regulations Trump will target.
What could be the impact?
The suite of reforms will slow the country’s progress when it comes to addressing climate change, a trend that has made weather calamities more common worldwide and imposes large costs on the global economy every year.
The effect on consumer prices is difficult to predict, analysts say. Increasing the world’s energy supply would likely bring down costs for consumers in the long run, and energy is a key part of the U.S.’ strategy on the world stage. At the same time, the policy tools available to the president are limited, and they could take a while to translate into lower prices at the gas pump.
Trump’s decision to end the clean vehicle rules will hinder the electric vehicle industry, which has created thousands of jobs across the U.S., including in Arizona. Some analysts believe that market forces will still drive a transition to electric vehicles in the long term.
‘Drill, baby, drill’
Talking to reporters Monday morning, incoming administration officials touted the effort as delivering on Trump’s promise to “drill, baby, drill” to deliver for the country’s economy.
They will help the U.S. “stay at the global forefront” of technology and provide power for technologies important for national security, like artificial intelligence, officials said.
“If I don’t win, you will have no auto industry in two to three years,” Trump said at a rally in Michigan last year. “China’s going to take all of your business because of the electric car.”
USA TODAY’s Joey Garrison contributed to this report.
A makeshift memorial stands outside the Farragut West Metro station on December 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. Two West Virginia National Guard troops were shot blocks from the White House on November 26.
Heather Diehl/Getty Images
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Heather Diehl/Getty Images
They survived some of the Afghanistan War’s most grueling and treacherous missions.
But once they evacuated to the U.S., many Afghan fighters who served in “Zero Units” found themselves spiraling.
Among their ranks was Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man charged with killing one National Guard member and seriously injuring a second after opening fire on them in Washington, D.C. on Thanksgiving Eve.
NPR’s Brian Mann spoke to people involved in Zero Units and learned some have struggled with mental health since coming to the U.S. At least four soldiers have died by suicide.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Erika Ryan and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Alina Hartounian and Courtney Dorning.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
new video loaded: Behind the Supreme Court’s Push to Expand Presidential Power
By Ann E. Marimow, Claire Hogan, Stephanie Swart and Pierre Kattar
December 12, 2025
Gideon talks to Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s former secretary-general, about Ukraine and Europe’s strategic priorities after recent scathing criticism from US president Donald Trump over its failure to end the war: ‘They talk but they don’t produce.’ Clip: Politico
Free links to read more on this topic:
The White House’s rupture with the western alliance
Trump pushes for ‘free economic zone’ in Donbas, says Zelenskyy
Friedrich Merz offers to host Ukraine talks so deal not done ‘above Europe’s head’
Ukraine’s ‘fortress belt’ that Donald Trump wants to trade for peace
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