By Andrea Shalal and David Lawder
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President-elect Donald Trump will sign an executive order declaring an energy emergency to “unleash affordable and reliable American energy,” a new White House official said on Monday.
Trump, who promised during his campaign to “drill, baby, drill,” will also sign an executive order targeting Alaska, the official said, adding that the state is critical to U.S. national security and could allow the export of LNG- and to other parts the United States and allies.
No details were provided for either measure, but the official said Trump’s orders would cut “red tape and burdens and regulations” to increase U.S. energy production and lower costs for American consumers.
The official said there was no specific target for the price of oil, adding that the Trump administration aimed to ensure an abundance of US energy that would allow prices to fall.
The energy order would also seek to roll back efforts by the outgoing Biden administration to encourage the development of electric vehicles and set energy efficiency requirements for common household appliances, the official said, without giving details.
As for the Alaska initiative, the official said Trump will take “decisive action to unlock the potential of Alaska’s natural resources,” citing an abundance of resources such as oil and gas, seafood, timber and key minerals. No further details were provided, but the official said past regulations from the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture have limited production in Alaska.
