Key Contacts
Overview of Trump Administration Expectations
With the inauguration of Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2025, we anticipate potentially significant changes in the Executive’s priorities with respect to environmental and energy issues. The prior Trump administration’s efforts in these areas—including emphasis on energy independence, deregulation, and rollback of climate change related regulations—provide some insights about what is to come. President-elect Trump also has made distinct promises on the campaign trail and during the transition period that may preview changes in the environmental arena.
During his first administration, President Trump removed the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, and one of the first things President Biden did was rejoin that Agreement. We anticipate that the second Trump administration will again remove the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and potentially identify other climate-related rules and regulations enacted over the last four years as candidates for reform. On the campaign trail, President-elect Trump called for repeal of climate change related regulations, as well as repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes tax credits and other incentives designed to promote the use of clean energy sources.
The first Trump administration also pushed for deregulation, striving for the elimination of two rules for every rule the Executive branch added. As a candidate this time around, President-elect Trump pledged to eliminate ten rules for each new rule and to create the Department of Government Efficiency to audit government spending and performance before proposing significant reforms. With respect these deregulatory efforts at EPA, we anticipate a rollback of some Biden administration guidance documents and rules, particularly those related to climate and environmental justice; and a shift to bolstering state and local priorities. To accomplish these and other environmental objectives, President-elect Trump is expected to issue initial Executive Orders addressing EPA rules and guidance materials adopted during the Biden administration, as well as grants of funding as the incoming administration assesses personnel, budgets, climate-related policies, and rules to stay and (potentially) re-propose.
With respect to appointments, President-elect Trump has nominated Lee Zeldin to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Chris Wright to lead the U.S. Department of Energy. The appointment of Mr. Wright, the CEO of Liberty Energy, the second-largest fracking company is North America, is expected to further President-elect Trump’s goals of rolling back of climate and other regulations and fostering energy independence. The confirmation hearings for Zeldin and Wright began the week of January 13.
Lee Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from New York, was announced as President-elect Trump’s pick to maintain the “highest environmental standards” while simultaneously ensuing fair and swift deregulatory decisions to unleash the power of American industry. For his part, Zeldin has stated that his selection is an honor and that as EPA Secretary he will strive to restore energy dominance, bring back auto manufacturing jobs, and make the U.S. a global leader of AI while protecting access to clean air and water. In Congress, Zeldin was known to be diligent and well versed on the relevant issues but lacks significant environmental experience. He has spoken publicly about a renewed EPA focus on environmental efforts at the state and local level, rather than forging this path at a federal level. This approach could lead to decreased federal enforcement efforts, as well as an increase in cooperative efforts with the regulated community to evaluate environmental issues and compliance. An exception may be for the Superfund program, which remained strong during the first Trump administration. President-elect Trump likewise noted his support for clean air and water programs throughout the presidential campaign.
The Trump administration’s articulated means for fostering energy independence place an emphasis on increased drilling and fracking for oil, as well an expansion of production and use of fossil fuels (with a corresponding roll-back of renewable energy sources). It is anticipated that investment in biofuels, including by the U.S. military, will be reduced as encouragement of fossil fuel production becomes the priority. In this effort, it is believed that heavy investment in science and energy development will ensure access to affordable and reliable energy in the domestic market. Additionally, an “all of the above” energy policy will foster more private sector competition and innovation that will best serve the American people. And while President-elect Trump called for the end of the “EV mandate” for federal agencies, it will be interesting to see if his administration takes any formal steps to limit the use of electric vehicles,
President-elect Trump also has promised to cut energy prices in half within 18 months of taking office. Doing so would be a tall order, as domestic oil and gas production already was at a record-high during the Biden administration. Boosting production could be accomplished through additional drilling projects and associated pipelines, potentially bolstered by the D.C. Circuit’s recent decision finding regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to be non-binding where they have been published by the Council on Environmental Quality.
Finally, it will be interesting to see how President-elect Trump’s appointee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., may impact environmental policies related to food production and pesticide use. While President-elect Trump has previously prioritized large-scale agriculture production, and has expressed support for U.S. farmers, Kennedy’s stated goals of pushing back on ultra-processed foods, removing chemicals from the food supply, and restricting pesticide use suggest the possibility of stricter regulation of the agricultural sector.
