WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright signed his first Secretarial Order today directing the Department of Energy to take immediate action to unleash American Energy in accordance with President Trump’s executive orders.

SECRETARIAL ORDER

FEBRUARY 5, 2025
FROM: CHRIS WRIGHT
SECRETARY OF ENERGY
SUBJECT: Unleashing the Golden Era of American Energy Dominance

As Secretary of Energy, it is an immense privilege to serve alongside each of you at such a consequential moment in American history. Energy is the essential ingredient that enables everything we do. A highly energized society can bring health, wealth, and opportunity for all. At the Department, we have an opportunity to promote energy abundance, demonstrate leadership in scientific and technological innovation, steward and strengthen our weapons stockpiles, and meet Cold War legacy waste clean-up commitments.

President Trump has outlined a bold and ambitious agenda to unleash American energy at home and abroad to restore energy dominance. To compete globally, we must expand energy production and reduce energy costs for American families and businesses. America must lead the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs, which includes accelerating the work of the Department’s National Laboratories. We must also permit and build energy infrastructure and remove barriers to progress, including federal policies that make it too easy to stop projects and far too difficult to complete projects.

We must pursue a culture of transparency, performance, and common sense to succeed. Accordingly, the Department will take the following initial actions:

1. Advance Energy Addition, Not Subtraction:

Great attention has been paid to the pursuing of a net-zero carbon future. Net-zero policies raise energy costs for American families and businesses, threaten the reliability of our energy system, and undermine our energy and national security. They have also achieved precious little in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. The fact is that energy matters, and we need more of it, not less. Going forward, the Department’s goal will be to unleash the great abundance of American energy required to power modern life and to achieve a durable state of American energy dominance.

2. Unleash American Energy Innovation:

The Department’s Research and Development (R&D) enterprise is the envy of the world. We must focus our time and resources on technologies that will advance basic science, grow America’s scientific leadership, reduce costs for American families, strengthen the reliability of our energy system, and bolster America’s manufacturing competitiveness and supply chain security. As such, the Department’s R&D efforts will prioritize affordable, reliable, and secure energy technologies, including fossil fuels, advanced nuclear, geothermal, and hydropower.
The Department must also prioritize true technological breakthroughs – such as nuclear fusion, high-performance computing, quantum computing, and AI – to maintain America’s global competitiveness. To that end, the Department will comprehensively review its R&D portfolio. As part of that review, the Department will rigorously enforce project milestones to ensure that taxpayer resources are allocated appropriately and cost-effectively consistent with the law.

3. Return to Regular Order on LNG Exports:

America is blessed with abundant energy resources – we are the world’s top oil and gas producer and a net energy exporter for the first time in decades. Our energy abundance is an asset, not a liability. On January 20, the Department resumed consideration of pending applications to export American liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries without a free trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S. in accordance with the Natural Gas Act. Proper consideration of LNG export applications is required by law and shall proceed accordingly.

4. Promote Affordability and Consumer Choice in Home Appliances:

A top priority of the Trump Administration is to ensure that American families can choose from a range of affordable home appliances and products. Therefore, the Department will initiate a comprehensive review of the DOE Appliance Standards Program. Any standards should include a cost-benefit analysis considering the upfront cost of purchasing new products and reflecting actual cost savings for American families. The Department will pursue a commonsense approach that does not regulate products that consumers value out of the market; instead, affordability and consumer choice will be our guiding light.

5. Refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR):

As President Trump has stated, the SPR is a national asset that protects our security in times of crisis. It must be refilled. Unfortunately, the SPR is currently at historically low levels. We will not permit this to become a new status quo. Moreover, the Department will review SPR infrastructure and develop appropriate plans to safeguard this important strategic asset.

6. Modernize America’s nuclear stockpile:

We urgently need to modernize the nation’s nuclear weapons systems. The Department will continue its critical mission of protecting our national security and nuclear deterrence in the development, modernization, and stewardship of America’s atomic weapons enterprise, including the peaceful use of nuclear technology and nonproliferation.

7. Unleash Commercial Nuclear Power in the United States:

The long-awaited American nuclear renaissance must launch during President Trump’s administration. As global energy demand continues to grow, America must lead the commercialization of affordable and abundant nuclear energy. As such, the Department will work diligently and creatively to enable the rapid deployment and export of next-generation nuclear technology.

8. Strengthen Grid Reliability and Security:

Fortifying America’s electric grid is critical to the reliable and secure delivery of electricity. Under President Trump’s Executive Order, “Declaring a National Energy Emergency,” the Department will identify and exercise all lawful authorities to strengthen the nation’s grid, including the backbone of the grid, our transmission system. This is an imperative as we consider current and anticipated load growth on our nation’s electric utilities. Moreover, after two decades of very slow demand growth, electricity demand is forecast to soar in the coming years. The Department will bring a renewed focus to growing baseload and dispatchable generation to reliably meet growing demand.

9. Streamline Permitting and Identify Undue Burdens on American Energy:

A burdensome federal permitting process undermines America’s competitiveness and national security. Pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Orders, the Department will prioritize more efficient permitting to enable private sector investments and build the energy infrastructure needed to make energy more affordable, reliable, and secure. To that end, the Department will identify and exercise its legal authorities to expedite the approval and construction of reliable energy infrastructure.

The Department’s mission is vital to American security and prosperity. Working together, we will accelerate American science, reduce energy costs for American families and businesses, and strengthen the reliability and security of our nation’s energy system — all in our quest to better human lives. I look forward to working with you on this noble mission.


https://blackmon.substack.com/...9&triedRedirect=true

I like this guy. If for nothing else, liberal tree hugger enviro weenie con artist's heads will explode. Those fatalities alone should reduce the RAT party (RAT=democRAT) by 20%, at least.

I think #8, protecting the grid and preparing for “anticipated load growth” demonstrates the leadership that’s been so lacking.

^^^^^^^

And also to harden and protect the grid against any attacks, sabotage, natural disasters, etc.

quote:

1. Advance Energy Addition, Not Subtraction:

Great attention has been paid to the pursuing of a net-zero carbon future. Net-zero policies raise energy costs for American families and businesses, threaten the reliability of our energy system, and undermine our energy and national security. They have also achieved precious little in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. The fact is that energy matters, and we need more of it, not less. Going forward, the Department’s goal will be to unleash the great abundance of American energy required to power modern life and to achieve a durable state of American energy dominance.

I applaud this.

For decades, this country has experienced the repeated problem of incrementalism in environmental regulations. Refineries, Chemical Plants, Gas Treatment Plants, etc. for oil & gas and I'm told electrical generators encounter the same problem. They pass an environmental regulation, we spend billions to comply and then just as we optimize and begin to make money again they change the regulation again. It's turned into a 2 steps forward after capital investment, but then there is inevitably a new regulation that is a step or two back or more capital investment. Some refineries and chemical plants have thrown in the towel and shutdown.

Ultra low sulfur diesel is a great example. EPA adopted a European standard so they already knew in Europe it had cut refinery yields (i.e. less throughput), distribution terminals had to add a lubricity additive package, and consumer cost went up. EPA didn't give a fuck, and the congressional budget office produces a laughable estimate (it's standard operating procedure) that grossly underestimates the economic impact of the EPA standard. We install our capital investments at our refineries and distribution terminals, start them up and then optimize the processes. That was 2010 and the EPA has continued to implement new emission requirements that require more capital investment and more optimization. For example, 2015 regulation went into effect which reduced sulfur in large marine diesel engines propelling ships which meant capital investments to be able to continue to sell this fuel.

If you look at consumer impacts for ULSD. Prior to the regulation, diesel prices were similar to regular unleaded gasoline prices (i.e. much less than premium gasoline). We're going on 15 years of diesel prices being similar to premium gasoline prices. Once again, this EPA regulation was based on a European regulation so the consumer price impacts were known but ignored.

quote:

9. Streamline Permitting and Identify Undue Burdens on American Energy:

A burdensome federal permitting process undermines America’s competitiveness and national security. Pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Orders, the Department will prioritize more efficient permitting to enable private sector investments and build the energy infrastructure needed to make energy more affordable, reliable, and secure. To that end, the Department will identify and exercise its legal authorities to expedite the approval and construction of reliable energy infrastructure.

The Department’s mission is vital to American security and prosperity. Working together, we will accelerate American science, reduce energy costs for American families and businesses, and strengthen the reliability and security of our nation’s energy system — all in our quest to better human lives. I look forward to working with you on this noble mission.

I applaud his goal of streamlining as it's very necessary. By law, environmental impact statement (EIS) process is supposed to take 36 months but during Obama admin that average moved to 3.5 years, but 2021-2024 average is 2.4 years. The decrease in average is partially due to less businesses wanting to invest during the Biden admin as the number of EIS's decreased by 30%. That's average, but a more complex large investment takes longer and when there are large quantities of projects it takes longer.

Look at this chart showing the number of EISs completed in 4 or more years ( link to DOE report ):

quote:

7. Unleash Commercial Nuclear Power in the United States:

The long-awaited American nuclear renaissance must launch during President Trump’s administration. As global energy demand continues to grow, America must lead the commercialization of affordable and abundant nuclear energy. As such, the Department will work diligently and creatively to enable the rapid deployment and export of next-generation nuclear technology.

I'm all for increasing the use of nuclear domestically, as long as adequate and safe storage of old fuel elements is a part of that effort. I'm not so sure about exporting it though. Imagine exporting it to somebody who, in turn, sells it to somebody like Iran, for a profit.

All good things on that list. Here's hoping for firing on all eight cylinders from now on. The bit about seeking lost (squelched) R&D is maybe most intriguing to me.

Here's a decent example of where to start a new direction in:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=IzQ3gFRj0Bc&si=_zZNKfjs0Bgq5OKX

Not sure how to post youtube vids anymore, guess it changed?

quote:

https://youtu.be/IzQ3gFRj0Bc?si=I1e7iATBwJEUeo0v

Good watch! Also read a lot about smaller nuke plants for a neighborhood or a mine site.

While I applaud more emphasis/support going to the national laboratory complex, they seriously need a visit from DOGE. They are heavily shackled from huge expense burdens and being super top heavy (too many “managers”).