Trump declares energy emergency

President Trump has declared an energy emergency, which his team has said would unlock additional powers to jump-start production.

Speaking about the declaration from behind the desk of the Oval Office, Trump said “that means you can do whatever you have to do to get out of that problem. “

“And we do have that kind of an emergency,” he added. 

The order was invoked under the National Emergencies Act, which gives the president emergency powers. It directs the head of federal agencies to identify any emergency authorities they may have to facilitate the production or processing of energy. 

It also includes other directives, including telling the head of the agency to consider issuing emergency fuel waivers that allow for the year-round sale of gasoline that contains high ethanol content, which is typically restricted due to smog concerns. 

“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill,” Trump said during his inaugural speech.

“America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have, the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we are going to use it,” he said. 

The Trump official said that the emergency declaration was coming in response to high fuel prices. 

The average U.S. gasoline price is currently $3.13 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association. 

That’s currently much lower than a 2022 peak that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but is still higher than the average price during the first Trump administration. In 2019, prices averaged $2.60 per gallon. Experts attributed the rise in gas prices under former President Biden to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and postpandemic recovery. Oil production under the Biden administration reached record highs, surpassing an average of 13 million barrels per day for the first time.

The order comes as Trump also ordered a reversal of Biden efforts to protect certain areas from offshore drilling. 

— Updated Jan. 21 at 6:06 p.m. EST