The White House has issued formal guidance for federal departments and agency to review and possibly revise their energy regulations under a Mar. 28 executive order aimed at promoting energy independence and economic growth. The May 8 guidance outlines considerations and lists deadlines to be met.
It noted that the order requires the head of each department or agency to determine whether an existing regulation, order, guidance document, policy, or similar action potentially places a burden on the development and use of US energy resources, “with particular attention to oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy.”
“Burden” means to unnecessarily obstruct, delay, curtail, or otherwise impose significant costs on the siting, permitting, production, utilization, transmission, or delivery of energy resources, the executive order said.
Each department or agency head is required to submit a plan to carry out such a review to White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney by May 12, with copies to Vice-Pres. Mike Pence, the assistants to the president for Economic Policy and Domestic Policy, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s chair.
An agency that determines it does not have to take such actions will submit a written statement to the OMB director to that effect and, unless Mulvaney determines that it does, will have no further responsibilities.
Agencies that submit a review plan will be required to submit a draft final plan by July 26 which includes, to the extent permitted by law, specific recommendations to alleviate or eliminate aspects of regulations which burden domestic energy production.
Their final reports are due on Sept. 24, unless Mulvaney, in consultation with other Executive Branch officers who receive draft final reports, extends the deadline.
Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].
