Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed his first Secretarial Order directing the Department of Energy (DOE) to “take immediate action to unleash American Energy” by expanding energy production, reducing energy costs, and leading in innovation and technology breakthroughs by accelerating the work of the Department’s National Laboratories, among other things. The Secretarial Order announces the following nine actions: (1) “Advance Energy Addition, Not Subtraction” by eliminating net-zero emissions policies; (2) “Unleash American Energy Innovation” by reviewing the Department’s Research & Development (R&D) portfolio to focus the Department’s R&D towards technologies that prioritize “affordable, reliable, and secure energy technologies, including fossil fuels, advanced nuclear, geothermal, and hydropower” and “true technological breakthroughs – such as nuclear fusion, high-performance computing, quantum computing, and AI”; (3) “Return to Regular Order on LNG Exports”; (4) “Promote Affordability and Consumer Choice in Home Appliances” by initiating a review of the DOE Appliance Standards Program; (5) “Refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)”; (6) “Modernize America’s nuclear stockpile”; (7) “Unleash Commercial Nuclear Power in the United States”; (8) “Strengthen Grid Reliability and Security”; and (9) “Streamline Permitting and Identify Undue Burdens on American Energy” by expediting the approval and construction of “reliable energy infrastructure.”
