(Reuters) – Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has developed an energy policy platform focused on maximizing U.S. fuel and energy production, in part by dismantling the Biden administration’s key efforts to combat climate change.
The former Republican president’s campaign has said President Joe Biden’s efforts to support the adoption of electric vehicles while curbing the use of coal and gas pose a risk to the nation’s power grid at a time of rising energy demand. It has promised reforms that would simplify permitting for new power plants and remove barriers to fossil fuel production.
In an ironic twist, the United States has become the world’s largest producer of oil and gas during Biden’s tenure, and its agencies have approved projects faster than they did under Trump. Yet Biden has rushed legislation through Congress and enacted regulations aimed at accelerating the transition to cleaner energy.
Here are some of the Biden administration’s climate initiatives that Trump would like to tackle if he wins the November election over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris:
RULE FOR POWER PLANT
In April, Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency finalized rules aimed at carbon, air and water pollution from power plants, an industry that accounts for nearly 25% of U.S. carbon emissions. The rules will essentially require coal-fired power plants and new natural gas-fired generators over the next decade to capture emissions before they reach the atmosphere.
In a call with reporters on Aug. 29, Trump’s former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said Trump would overturn the regulations and “put the coal industry back to work so all Americans have access to affordable energy.” He did not elaborate. U.S. coal employment and production of the mineral have declined during Trump’s four-year term.
RULES FOR VEHICLE EFFICIENCY
The Biden administration in March announced new U.S. auto emissions regulations aimed at curbing tailpipe pollution and encouraging automakers to expand production of electric and hybrid vehicles. The final rules were a watered-down version of the original proposal, giving automakers more leeway in meeting the standards.
Still, they have drawn the ire of the Trump campaign, which has lumped them in with Biden’s green initiatives that they say distort markets, raise prices and limit consumer choice.
Despite Trump’s opposition to widespread adoption of electric cars, his campaign has gained the support of Tesla founder Elon Musk. His company could potentially gain an edge over its competitors even if Trump further lowers vehicle emissions limits or rolls back subsidies for electric cars.
INFLATION REDUCTION ACT
Trump has repeatedly said he may repeal electric vehicle subsidies, a key provision of Biden’s flagship climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, if elected.
The 2022 IRA includes billions of dollars in additional subsidies for clean energy, including wind and solar power and high-tech batteries, but it’s unclear whether Trump wants to address those provisions as well.
Any change to the law requires an act of Congress.
Corey Lewandowski, a Trump campaign adviser, dodged the question during a phone call with reporters on Aug. 29 when asked whether Trump would support repealing parts of the IRA.
PARIS DEAL
During his term as US president (2017-2021), Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris climate deal, an international pact to combat climate change, arguing that the agreement was unnecessary and put it at a competitive disadvantage compared to China.
Trump’s campaign said he would do it again if he wins in November.
The US is now a full participant in the accord, after Biden quickly rejoined in 2021 and sought to restore US climate leadership on the global stage.
(Reporting by Richard Valdmanis and Timothy Gardner)
