Shortly after the inauguration of Donald Trump, the first official White House Energy Plan has been released. Here are some summary key findings:
- The plan is short and in some ways familiar in its stated goals:
- Lower costs of energy and economic growth
- Responsible stewardship for the environment
- Energy security and independence
- But with some variants:
- eliminating “harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule”
- revive clean coal
- take advantage of the estimated $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil, and natural gas reserves, especially those on federal lands
- refocus the EPA on its essential mission of protecting our air and water
- Notably omitted:
- any statement regarding energy “efficiency,” conservation or fuel substitution as a way to lower costs and achieve energy independence
- “clean” technologies other than clean coal
- “climate” except in the “eliminating … the Climate Action Plan”
- the words “sustainable,” “renewable” or “alternative”