President Donald Trump is ordering the immediate reversal of Biden-era green energy regulations on household appliances and the reinstatement of environmental orders issued under his first term.

During his term, former President Joe Biden issued more stringent climate standards for various household appliances, such as gas stoves, washing machines and dishwashers, which energy experts and manufacturers have warned could lead to more expensive alternatives that are far less effective than current models.

Trump, in a Truth Social post early Tuesday morning, called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), led by former Rep. Lee Zeldin, to immediately undo Biden's climate mandates and return to "common sense standards."

"I am hereby instructing Secretary Lee Zeldin to immediately go back to my Environmental Orders, which were terminated by Crooked Joe Biden, on Water Standards and Flow pertaining to SINKS, SHOWERS, TOILETS, WASHING MACHINES, DISHWASHERS, etc., and to likewise go back to the common sense standards on LIGHTBULBS, that were put in place by the Trump Administration, but terminated by Crooked Joe," Trump wrote. 

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"I look forward to signing these Orders," the president said. "THANK YOU!!!"

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Republican lawmakers, who have the majority in both the House and the Senate, have also started taking actions in Congress to derail Biden's green energy standards for appliances. 

Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Oka., introduced a joint resolution of disapproval against the standards for coolers and freezers enacted by the Biden administration that were set to go into effect in February, reported first by Fox News Digital. 

Additionally, Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., introduced a resolution to block Biden's ban on water heaters, which was announced first by Fox News Digital.

Also in January, the House passed the "Liberty in Laundry Act" to prevent the Energy secretary and Department of Energy from "implementing new or amended energy efficiency standards for clothes washers that are not technologically feasible and economically justified."

Judges around the country are making quick work of climate lawfare, a welcome development following the U.S. Supreme Court declining to confront the issue earlier this year.  

In recent months, three judges in Maryland and New York have dismissed climate-change lawsuits from public litigants who accuse energy companies of harming communities through emissions and concealing those harms from the public. Their decisions suggest an emerging consensus that federal law does not permit these kinds of claims, which fail on their own terms in all events.  

More than two dozen cities and states have filed nearly identical climate-change lawsuits, creating significant risk for energy companies and consumers who enjoy the quality of life cheap and abundant power provides. 

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The plaintiffs pleaded state law claims accusing the defendants of creating a public nuisance and deceiving the public. The energy companies have raised a variety of defenses. Their principal defense is that the climate claims are preempted by the Clean Air Act, which assigns emissions regulation to the Environmental Protection Agency, with limited carve-outs for states that do not apply in the instant cases.  

Taken together, the recent decisions clarify the fundamental political goals of climate litigants. In dismissing the city of Baltimore’s climate lawsuit, Judge Videtta Brown explained that a successful state law climate claim "would operate as a de facto regulation on greenhouse gas emissions," echoing the like conclusions of the Second and Ninth U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal.  

The reason for that is obvious. In these cases, the energy providers face liability unbound. The prospective damages are so high that the defendants would fundamentally alter their business practices. That is the policy outcome the plaintiffs intend, which makes the preemption issue straightforward.  

Indeed, U.S. District Judge William Alsup speculated that climate lawfare threatens the continued viability of fossil fuel production altogether. When dismissing Oakland’s climate change lawsuit in 2021, Alsup wrote that the damages sought "would make the continuation of defendants’ fossil fuel production ‘not feasible.’" 

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Public reporting about the origins of the climate nuisance, fraud and misrepresentation cases fills out the picture. News accounts establish that a skillful network of academics, lawyers, celebrities and leftwing foundations are at work behind the scenes, at once incubating new legal theories and lining up financing. These facts aren’t necessarily germane for a court, but reasonable onlookers should not be obtuse about what’s going on here.  

Apart from the preemption issues, a Jan. 14 decision in New York clarifies that climate deception suits don’t meet the requirements of a misrepresentation tort. As above, the reason is obvious.  

"The connection between fossil fuels and climate change is public information," Judge Anar Rathod Patel wrote in dismissing the second of New York City’s climate change lawsuits. Courts have determined that "a reasonable consumer cannot have been misled" when the plaintiff does not identify salient facts that the defendant alone possessed.  

The climate misrepresentation claims rest on a contradiction. The plaintiffs maintain that the public is broadly aware of climate change, and that "climate anxiety" shapes economic and political choices. But those same consumers have supposedly been deceived by the energy companies and kept in the dark about the connection between fossil fuels and a changing climate. As Patel wrote, the plaintiffs "cannot have it both ways."  

Rebranding extreme social engineering as environmental or consumer protection is an old liberal trick. Ironically, the pioneer of this tactic, Ralph Nader, contributed to the current climate policy problem with his successful "pro-consumer, pro-safety" crusade against nuclear power in the 1970s.   

I am not sure that the Supreme Court is clear of climate lawfare. While most courts confronting the late wave of climate lawsuits have dismissed them, a few have allowed them to proceed to discovery and trial. The existing split in authorities thus seems like to grow. And the plaintiffs need only prevail in a handful of cases to extract the changes they seek. But it is surely positive for consumers and for the rule of law that the prevailing trend is against the plaintiffs. 

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A major solar power plant project that was granted over a billion dollars in federal loans is on the road to closure, with energy experts blasting the project as a "boondoggle" that harmed the environment.

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under former President Barack Obama issued $1.6 billion in loan guarantees to finance the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, a green energy project that consists of three solar concentrating thermal power plants in California. 

The facility was touted by then-Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz as an "example of how America is becoming a world leader in solar energy." But after 10 years, the federally funded plant is now on track to close. 

"Ivanpah is yet another failed green energy boondoggle, much like Solyndra," Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute, an American energy advocacy group, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Despite receiving $1.6 billion in federal loan guarantees, it never lived up to its promises, producing less electricity than expected while still relying on natural gas to stay operational."

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"Now, with its power contracts canceled, Ivanpah stands as a testament to the waste and inefficiency of government-subsidized energy schemes," Isaac said.

Ivanpah consists of three individual units, two of which were contracted by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) in 2009 and scheduled to run until 2039. 

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In January, PG&E announced plans to cancel its agreement with Ivanpah 14 years early, determining that "ending the agreements at this time will save customers money compared to the cost of keeping them through 2039" – ultimately putting Ivanpah on notice for closure.

"The Ivanpah plant was a financial boondoggle and environmental disaster," Julia Dowell of the Sierra Club, an environmental activism group, said of the power plant. 

"Along with killing thousands of birds and tortoises, the project’s construction destroyed irreplaceable pristine desert habitat along with numerous rare plant species," Dowell said. "While the Sierra Club strongly supports innovative clean energy solutions and recognizes the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels, Ivanpah demonstrated that not all renewable technologies are created equal."

This comes after another DOE-funded green energy project, Solyndra, went bankrupt in 2011 after receiving $535 million in federal loan guarantees from the Obama administration.

"Green projects have a long history of expensive taxpayer-subsidized disaster that is getting more so," Steve Milloy, senior fellow at the Energy & Environmental Legal Institute and former Trump EPA transition team member, said in a statement to Fox.

Milloy suggested that further green energy failures could come from projects funded by recent Democrat-backed legislation that aims to push the green energy agenda.

"Soon we will be looking at failures of larger magnitude than Green New Deal spending. No green project relying on taxpayer subsidies has ever made any economic or environmental sense," Milloy said. "It’s important that President Trump stop the taxpayer bleeding by ending what he accurately calls the Green New Scam."

EXCLUSIVE: Republican lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to investigate President Biden's dismissal of a lawsuit claiming millions in fraud from a green energy project the day after the 2024 election.

In 2011, President Barack Obama's Treasury Department granted Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC hundreds of millions of dollars for the construction of a green energy solar plant, the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, in Nevada.

However, the energy group was eventually sued by CMB Export, LLC for alleged fraud involving approximately $275 million of taxpayer dollars in a qui tam lawsuit, which is a case on behalf of the government claiming fraud against federal programs. The case was being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ), until the Biden administration filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on Nov. 6, 2024 – the day after the presidential election.

In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, obtained first by Fox News Digital, Republican Reps. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, and Carol Miller, R-W.Va., are sounding the alarm over the previous administration's decision to halt the potential recovery of taxpayer funds.

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"Despite investing three and a half years in investigating this case, it is deeply troubling that the DOJ reversed its position shortly after the presidential election, claiming the dismissal was in public interest and citing undue burdens on federal agencies," the letter reads. "This decision is perplexing, given that the government stands to lose nothing by allowing CMB Export, LLC, to proceed with the case."

The letter asks that Bondi investigate the Biden administration's rationale for dismissal, potential conflicts of interest, timeline of events, and accountability regarding the possible misuse of taxpayer funds.

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"The American people soundly rejected the Biden administration's radical Green New Deal agenda and fraudulent coverups when they voted for President Trump," Miller told Fox News Digital. "Our understanding is the Crescent Dunes project was an energy proposal that cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, produced less energy than promised, and posed safety concerns for individuals working on the project. With President Trump back in the White House, transparency is now the standard for the federal government."

Biden's DOJ claimed the dismissal was "commensurate with the public interest," and that litigation obligations would impose "an undue burden" on the government, two claims that are being called into question in the new letter.

The letter asks if there is any evidence that the timing of the motion was politically influenced, coming right after the election loss, and if the DOJ’s decision to dismiss a case that seeks to recover taxpayer dollars conflicts with its responsibility to uphold accountability in cases of alleged fraud against the government.

"The allegations in this case represent not just potential financial fraud but a breach of public trust," the Republican lawmakers wrote. "The Crescent Dunes project, like other failed ‘green energy’ initiatives, has already cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, and the dismissal of this case raised serious concerns about the previous administration’s commitment to protecting public funds and prosecuting fraud."

The lawmakers asked that the DOJ conduct an internal investigation into the case, and upon reevaluation, consider allowing CMB Export, LLC, to continue its charge against the solar company.

"The American people deserve accountability and transparency in how their tax dollars are used, especially in cases involving allegations of fraud on such a significant scale," the letter reads.

The climate change movement was issued a massive blow on Wednesday after a trial judge permanently closed a Democrat-charged lawsuit claiming that big oil was to blame for climate-caused damages in the state.

In 2022, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin filed a lawsuit against the country's largest oil companies, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, Shell, as well as the American Petroleum Institute, claiming that the fossil fuel industry was worsening the effects of climate change, and therefore, causing damage to the state.

However, the case was tossed out on Wednesday by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Douglas Hurd, who ruled that lawful oil companies could not be held liable for worldwide emissions. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be reopened.

"Plaintiffs seek to regulate the nationwide—and even worldwide—marketing and distribution of lawful products on which billions of people outside of New Jersey rely to heat their homes, power their hospitals and schools, produce and transport their food, and manufacture countless items essential to the safety, wellbeing, and advancement of modern society," said Hurd, who issued the ruling.

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Hurd said that the plaintiffs could not justly claim damages caused by nationwide emissions.

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"Because Plaintiffs seek damages for alleged harms caused by interstate and international emissions and global warming, their claims cannot be governed by state law. Under our federal constitutional system, states cannot use their laws to resolve claims seeking redress for injuries allegedly caused by out-of-state and worldwide emissions," Hurd said in the decision.

Energy experts told Fox News Digital that the dismissal sends a clear message that "energy policy should be set by elected officials, not litigated into existence by activist lawyers."

"This ruling is a major victory for common sense and the rule of law. Climate activists have been using the courts to push their radical agenda, but judges are increasingly rejecting these baseless lawsuits that threaten energy security and economic stability," Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute and former Texas representative, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

Steve Milloy, senior fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute and former Trump EPA transition team member, said that similar lawsuits could face the same fate because "the climate controversy is a political, not a legal one."

"Although Democrats don’t really understand this, political issues are on the ballot box, not the courtroom," Milloy said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Platkin's office for comment.

With President Trump back in office, our country’s energy security will be restored with the return to commonsense energy policies. Our country can now look forward to a future where American energy is embraced and not restricted. The American people sent a clear message in November by fully supporting a pro-energy agenda and on day one, President Trump delivered by taking decisive action to return our country to being a leader in energy security.  

First, The Trump administration will expand our onshore and offshore lease sales.

By expanding our onshore and offshore lease sales, our country can once again be a leader in domestic energy production to reduce carbon emissions throughout the world and our dependence on foreign rivals and adversaries.

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Earlier this year, under the shadow of a presidential transition, President Biden made a highly political and economically dangerous move to ban offshore oil and gas production in vast swaths of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean mere weeks before President-elect Trump takes office.

As I recently put it on Fox Business: "If it wasn’t so serious, it’d be sophomoric." In some sense, we shouldn’t be surprised: the Biden administration has from its beginning made every effort to politicize American energy production and usage and shockingly put forth the smallest lease sale in history last year.

Offshore access accounts for 14 percent of total U.S. crude oil production with a market size of $40.04 billion. Both these figures have room to grow, with some estimates suggesting that by 2032, the American offshore drilling industry could be worth nearly $75 billion: a near 90 percent increase in value in less than a decade. This would lead, of course, to an explosion in good-paying jobs from Alaska to California to Gulf states like Texas and Louisiana.

Second, as outlined in his Energy Executive Order, President Trump pledged to lift the detrimental LNG pause.

By lifting the liquefied natural gas (LNG) pause, long overdue permits will now be expedited, and the LNG industry can continue supporting thousands of American jobs and fulfill our commitment to our allies overseas.

Despite more than a decade of market evidence and independent analyses that LNG exports benefit economic and environmental security in the United States and worldwide, former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm wrote a memo urging caution on LNG project approvals last month.

LNG facilities have brought significant economic benefits to communities nationwide, especially along the Gulf Coast. According to a recent National Association of Manufacturers report, U.S. LNG supported the creation of over 200,000 jobs in 2023 alone.

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Despite Ms. Granholm’s alarmist rhetoric, the DOE report demonstrates environmental benefits — including lower emissions — from U.S. LNG. U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are declining relative to energy produced, stating that with unfettered LNG export approvals and no added carbon capture technologies assumed (the most extreme growth scenario), emissions would rise by only 0.05% over the next 25 years.

Third and finally, President Trump’s Energy Executive Order pledged to end Biden’s unpopular EV mandates.

Consumers will now be empowered to make their own choices regarding the cars or trucks they drive, as the federal government should not be dictating Americans’ transportation needs. President Trump’s Executive Order directs federal agencies to reevaluate these policies, including tax credits for EV purchases, federal funding for charging infrastructure and regulatory incentives that encourage automakers to shift from gas-powered vehicles to electric.

On day one, the Trump administration reversed the Biden administration’s restrictive energy policies in order to unleash American energy. President Trump’s second term will no doubt follow on the huge success of his first term, reinforcing our country as the world’s top producer of oil & natural gas and the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas.

The Senate Thursday evening advanced President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Department of Energy to a final confirmation vote.

The vote was 62-35. 

Chris Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy Inc., an energy industry service provider based in Colorado, was tapped by the 47th president to head the  Department of Energy under his administration.

The Trump nominee has received bipartisan support for his nomination, being introduced by a Democrat, Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, during his confirmation hearing with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this month.

The Senate held a late-night cloture vote for Wright, to end discussion over his nomination. 

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The cloture vote passed with bipartisan support, meaning Wright will advance to a final Senate vote, likely to take place on Friday.

Wright, during his confirmation hearing, said he had identified three "immediate tasks" where he would focus his attention: unleashing American energy, leading the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs and increasing production in America.

The global climate movement is already feeling the sting of the "Trump effect" after green energy policies were a target of President Donald Trump's first executive orders, according to energy experts who reacted to the president's first week in office.

Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States Monday, signing numerous executive orders aimed at unraveling former President Joe Biden's climate agenda.  

"President Trump has not wasted any time to undo Biden’s many climate policies designed to make energy more expensive and less affordable. America and the world can look forward to a brighter future because of the actions that President Trump has started on his first day in office," Myron Ebell, chairman of the American Lands Council, said in a statement.

But Ebell added that "it’s going to be a long, hard fight because of ferocious opposition" from climate groups.

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This week, Trump signed an executive order to ax the U.S. climate standards, which aimed to reduce emissions 61-66% by 2035. 

Additionally, the president ended the electric vehicle (EV) mandate and withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, a legally binding treaty among more than 190 parties committed to international cooperation on climate change.

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"President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Accords is a victory for American workers and families, rejecting policies that prioritize the Chinese Communist Party’s interests over our own," said Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute and a former Texas state representative.

"The Paris framework does nothing to mitigate a changing climate but drives up energy costs and burdens Americans with decarbonization mandates rooted in the climate hoax. By making American energy more affordable and accessible, President Trump is benefiting not only our nation but the world."

Marc Morano, publisher of Climate Depot, a communication platform for climate issues designed by the Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, a D.C.-based public policy group, said that Trump's second term "could become one of our lifetimes' most consequential presidencies."

"Trump is poised to, once and for all, put a stake through the heart of the U.N. globalist climate change scam," Morano said in a statement shared with Fox. "The Trump effect is already derailing the U.N. climate summits, canceling EV mandates, disintegrating the Wall Street climate group and Net Zero goals. Trump's policies could have the effect of collapsing the entire climate house of cards."

Trump's executive orders were not accepted by many Democratic lawmakers and climate groups, who criticized the president's executive orders. 

"It’s the second day of the second Trump presidency, and there are three things we know for sure: there is no energy emergency; there is a climate emergency; and the policies rolled out in these past 24 hours will make the climate crisis worse," said Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress plan on going even deeper on reversing green energy policies enacted over the past four years. Republicans in the House have already introduced legislation to block Biden's climate standards on household appliances.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is leading a bipartisan amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to validate a lower court ruling preventing nuclear waste from being deposited in his state.

Cruz, along with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, wants the top court to uphold a lower court ruling that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) lacks authority to license nuclear waste storage facilities. 

They argue the proposed location of the nuclear waste sites poses "an enormous threat to the country’s security and economic well-being."

The case, NRC v. Texas, will decide "whether the Commission has authority to issue the license under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 or the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982."

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The Supreme Court in October agreed to take up the case after the Biden administration appealed a Fifth Circuit decision holding that the NRC lacked authority to license nuclear waste storage facilities. The license, which was granted to the Biden administration and a company to build a waste storage facility in western Texas, was challenged by Texas and New Mexico.

Interim Storage Partners planned on operating the nuclear storage facility in Andrews County, Texas, a decision that spurred backlash because of the facility's location within the Permian Basin. 

"The Permian Basin is our nation’s leading oil- and gas-producing region and a critical pillar of America’s energy security," Cruz told Fox News Digital in a statement. "I support the State of Texas in opposing the NRC’s federal overreach and will keep fighting to ensure West Texas remains the energy power house it is today."

The brief argues that placing the storage facilities near the Permian Basin makes the area "an enticing target for adversaries," therefore threatening the oil-producing region. The brief says neither the parties hoping to operate the facilities nor the NRC are "equipped to consider the broader ramifications" of placing the facilities in the area. 

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Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cueller and Republican Reps. August Pfluger and Ronny Jackson have also joined Cruz's brief. 

"Energy independence is national security, which is why I support the scale-up of all reliable and economical energy sources, including nuclear, to meet our rising energy demand," Arrington said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "However, I will not allow Washington to impose its will on West Texas regarding the temporary disposal of high-level nuclear waste simply because the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can’t — or won’t — finalize permanent storage elsewhere."

Arrington said Texas "and the people of Andrews should make the decision" rather than "some nameless, faceless bureaucrat in Washington, D.C."

The amicus brief states that the location of the waste sites — while "remote" — "present an enormous threat to the country’s security and economic well-being."

"Energy security is national security. That adage remains as true now as it did in the 1970s, when OPEC strategically curtailed its oil supply to the United States," the filing continues. 

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"And although we’ve come a long way since then — building up domestic energy production capacity and decreasing dependence on fossil fuels — recent events are a vivid reminder of the importance of energy independence," the amicus continued. "They’ve also shown that the Permian Basin has global importance."

The high court is set to hear oral arguments in the case in early March.

The premier of a key oil region in Canada is open to talking with President Donald Trump about reopening the Keystone Pipeline, which, according to experts, could strengthen energy security and affordability. 

Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, Canada, said on Tuesday that she was interested in talking to the Trump administration about potentially reopening the Keystone XL oil pipeline – a system that was designed to carry oil from Alberta to the U.S. through to states like Illinois, Texas and Oklahoma. 

The pipeline has been at the forefront of political debate since the project began construction in 2010, and was eventually halted by former President Barack Obama before it was finished. Trump revived it during his first term, but in 2021, former President Joe Biden again blocked the project.

Trump could resume construction during his second term, and do so with the help of Smith, who said that she wants to have conversations about potential cross-border pipelines, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

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"What I would propose is—are there ways that we can look at increasing pipeline access, perhaps some new routes or perhaps some new proposals on existing routes?" Smith told the outlet. "So, whether it's a Keystone 2.0 or something else, I'm looking forward to starting those conversations in earnest once the interior secretary is sworn in." Trump tapped Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D., to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior, but he has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.

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The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. However, this week, Trump rescinded Biden's executive order that canceled the pipeline's permits, a move that could reopen potential construction of the oil system.

"Restarting the Keystone XL pipeline aligns with President Trump’s agenda to lower food and energy costs by bolstering North American energy infrastructure and reducing reliance on costly imports," Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute (AEI), told Fox News Digital. 

"The pipeline’s ability to transport heavy sour crude, rich in sulfur, will support the production of affordable fertilizers, a critical input for agriculture, ultimately lowering food-production costs," Isaac said. "Additionally, the increased supply of crude oil will stabilize fuel prices, reducing transportation and energy costs that significantly impact food prices. This project strengthens energy security, fosters economic growth, and directly contributes to making energy and food more affordable for American families."

Another expert said that Trump will likely face litigation if he chooses to proceed with construction of the pipeline, but that Congress could help limit legal action.

"The Trump administration will, no doubt, provide the needed permits for completing the Keystone XL, but litigation is sure to occur," Steve Milloy, a senior fellow at the Energy & Environmental Legal Institute and former Trump EPA transition team member, told Fox News Digital. "The trick will be to limit the litigation so that investors don’t get scared off. Congress could aid the process by ordering the pipeline completed and limiting the litigation."

In December 2022, the Biden administration's Department of Energy (DOE) published a report that said the Keystone XL project would have created between 16,149 and 59,000 jobs and would have had a positive economic impact of between $3.4 and 9.6 billion, citing various studies.

FIRST ON FOX: A top national trade organization has sent letters to three departments in the Trump administration advocating for specific policies that the group believes will most effectively achieve President Trump’s goal to "unleash American energy" in the United States. 

The American Exploration & Production Council, a national trade association representing the leading independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the United States, sent letters to the Department of Energy, Department of Interior and Environmental Protection Agency with specific guidelines on how to best jumpstart energy production.

In the letter to the Department of Energy, AXPC made several requests, including that the department "resume timely approval of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export approvals."

"U.S. LNG plays a critical role in geopolitical stability and supporting global emission reductions — a fact that has been confirmed numerous times over the past decade," the letter states. "As the world’s largest natural gas producer, the U.S. is well positioned to meet the dual challenge of supplying the world with affordable, clean, and reliable energy all while reducing global emissions. This misguided permitting pause should be lifted immediately, and DOE should ensure that any public interest study uses well-reasoned assumptions."

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Other recommendations to DOE included promoting U.S. energy exports, creating fair access to export authorizations and avoiding unnecessary delays, providing greater certainty for critical energy and infrastructure, and enhancing energy reliability with advanced natural gas storage.

"Our recommendations focus on policy priorities and actions within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and some Department wide that we believe strike this critical balance and directly impact responsible onshore exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas in the United States," the letter to the Department of Interior explained. 

"In alignment with the Trump administration’s goal to ‘Unleash American Energy’, including expanding oil and natural gas production on federal lands, these recommendations aim to support responsible American energy production while maintaining crucial environmental protections and fostering economic growth here at home."

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Recommendations to the DOI include revoking the BLM’s Conservation & Landscape Health Rule and its implementing instructional memorandums, streamlining drilling permits, replacing the recent resources management plan amendments to align with western states’ priorities, and allowing for the commingling of oil and gas production for greater efficiency and environmental protection. 

In the letter to the EPA, AXPC wrote that its recommendations "focus on policy priorities that we believe strike this critical balance and directly impact responsible onshore exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas in the United States."

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Some of those recommendations include revising the source performance standards to "improve feasibility for emission controls" and "provide greater allowance for alternative technologies and approaches."

The letter also calls for reforms to the Clean Water Act and modifications to the Greenhouse Gas reporting rule. 

"America is stronger, the world is safer, and the environment is cleaner when the United States is the world leader in energy production, and that is best achieved with sensible, workable, and durable policies out of Washington," AXPC CEO Anne Bradbury told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

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 "That's why America's oil and natural gas producers look forward to working with the Trump administration’s goal of energy dominance and providing affordable, reliable, and ever-cleaner energy for the American people."

Trump's nominees in all three departments have signaled that they intend to implement new policies and guidelines that significantly increase oil and gas production while easing regulations at the same time. 

"When energy production is restricted in America, it doesn't reduce demand. It just shifts production to countries like Russia and Iran, whose autocratic leaders not only don't care at all about the environment, but they use their revenues from energy sales to fund wars against us and our allies," DOI secretary nominee Doug Burgum said in his opening statement at his confirmation hearing. 

"President Trump's energy dominance vision will end those wars abroad and will make life more affordable for every family in America by driving down inflation. And President Trump will achieve those goals while championing clean air, clean water and protecting our beautiful lands."

President Trump, immediately upon taking office, flexed his presidential powers as he followed through on some of the major pledges he made on the campaign trail.

"Today I will sign a series of historic executive orders. With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of commonsense," the nation's 47th president vowed during his inauguration address Monday at the U.S. Capitol.

Hours later, Trump followed through, with an avalanche of executive order signings at Washington's Capitol One Arena, in front of thousands of supporters - a first in the nation's history - and later in the more traditional Oval Office setting at the White House.

"It's just pure Trump. He's the first president in a new connected world in which you have to govern from the outside in. You have to mount support and bring the people with you," veteran Republican strategist Alex Castellanos told Fox News Digital.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST DAY IN OFFICE 

Trump's immigration promises were a centerpiece of his successful presidential campaign to win back the White House.

"On Day One, I will launch the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America," the then-Republican presidential nominee vowed during a late October rally at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

And Trump took immediate action during his first hours back in office.

FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP VOWS OVER 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY 1

The new president declared a national emergency along the southern border with Mexico and ordered the deployment of U.S. troops to help support immigration agents. Trump also ordered the restart of a policy from his first administration that forced asylum seekers to wait over the border in Mexico. But it's unclear if Mexico would accept migrants again.

Trump also directed the federal government to resume border wall construction, begun during his first term but halted by President Biden. 

And Trump signed an order ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal migrants. But with birthright citizenship enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, Trump's executive order is sure to face immediate legal challenges in court from civil rights groups and immigration activists.

"I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted. And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate my remain in Mexico policy. I will end the practice of catch and release. And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country," Trump emphasized in his inauguration address.

TRUMP VOWS TO ACT WITH ‘HISTORIC SPEED’ AS INAUGURATION BRINGS REDEPMPTION 

And the president also announced that "we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks."

During his two-year run to return to the White House, Trump repeatedly vowed to "drill, baby, drill," and pledged to end the Biden administration's electric vehicle mandate.

On Monday, Trump followed through, as he tied his energy executive orders to his efforts to keep inflation in check.

"I will direct all members of my cabinet to marshal the vast powers at their disposal to defeat what was record inflation, and rapidly bring down costs and prices. The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices," Trump argued. 

And he said "that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill. 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."

During the 2024 cycle, Trump and Republicans repeatedly targeted Democrats up and down the ballot over the Biden administration's protections for transgender students

"We’re going to end it on Day One," Trump vowed last May. "Don’t forget, that was done as an order from the president. That came down as an executive order. And we’re going to change it — on Day One, it’s going to be changed."

Trump followed through, taking executive action from what the president's advisers said would "defend women from gender, ideology, extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government."

"As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female," the president said.

The president also signed orders terminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs - best known by their acronym DEI - within the federal government. The orders direct the White House to identify and end the programs within the government.

Another promise from the campaign trail - pardoning the defendants and commuting the sentences of many of those convicted of charges from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters who unsuccessfully tried to halt congressional certification of President Biden's 2020 election victory. 

Trump didn't mention the pardons in his inauguration address, but minutes later as he spoke to supporters gathered in an overflow room in the U.S. Capitol, he reiterated his longstanding unproven claim that the 2020 presidential election "was totally rigged."

A couple of hours later, in front of cheering supporters packed into Washington DC's downtown arena, Trump touted that he would be "signing pardons for a lot of people…to get them out" immediately.

He wasn't kidding.

The president, back at the White House, ended up pardoning around 1,500 people - including some convicted of attacking police officers - obliterating the Justice Department's effort to punish those who stormed the Capitol on one of America's darkest days.

"These people have been destroyed," Trump argued as he signed the pardons. "What they’ve done to these people has been outrageous."

Trump also took action on something that didn't come up on the campaign trail.

"A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America," Trump declared in his inauguration address. 

And pointing to Alaska's Mount Denali, which is North America's tallest peak, the president said "we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs."

"He's flooding the zone. He's making a case for action. He's demonstrating action. He is rallying a wave of American support for a massive transformation of government," Castellanos, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, told Fox News. "I think it's overwhelming and Democrats just don't know what's hitting them."

"Could you imagine Biden doing this. I don't think so," the president said, as he signed executive orders in front of thousands of his supporters.

But Trump didn't follow through on all of his campaign promises. 

TRUMP ENVOY SETS LONGER TIMETABLE TO END RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

One of his most prominent vows he didn't act on during his first day in office involved immediately ending a deadly war in Eastern Europe.

Trump repeatedly touted on the campaign trail that he would end the nearly three-year-long war between Russia and Ukraine "in one day."

"They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours," Trump vowed during a May 2023 town hall.

And in September, during his single debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump vowed "I will get it settled before I even become president."

That, obviously, didn't happen.

And earlier this month, retired Gen. Keith Kellog, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, offered a longer timetable.

"I would like to set a goal on a personal level, professional level, I would say let’s set it at 100 days," he said in a Fox News Channel interview.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Friday recounted a meeting with President Biden from early last year when the president appeared to forget he signed an executive order pausing the export of liquified natural gas (LNG).

Johnson publicly recalled the story for the first time to Bari Weiss during an episode of her podcast "Honestly" for The Free Press after saying that through his "personal observation" in dealing with Biden, the president "has not been in charge for some time." Johnson’s story was first reported by the Wall Street Journal in June, though the newspaper’s reporting relied on anonymous sources at the time.

When Weiss asked Johnson to elaborate on his observations, the speaker began his tale of how Biden’s staff kept brushing off his attempts to schedule a meeting with the president in January 2024 amid "big national concerns" that Johnson said he "was losing sleep over."

Johnson said that Biden’s staff finally relented after some pressure from the media and invited him to the Oval Office to meet with the president. Johnson, however, said the meeting did not start as expected.

‘WRONG-HEADED’: ENERGY INDUSTRY LEADERS BLAST BIDEN ADMIN REPORT ON NATURAL GAS EXPORTS

"I show up and I realize it's actually an ambush 'cause it's not just me and the president," Johnson said. "It's also Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem, you know, The CIA Director."

Johnson said the group began to "hot box" him on Ukraine funding when Biden asked if he could have the room with him, a request that Johnson said left the president’s staff visibly concerned.

Once Biden and Johnson were alone in the Oval Office, the speaker asked the president about his pause on LNG exports. 

"I cannot answer this from my constituents in Louisiana," Johnson recalled telling Biden. "Sir, why did you pause LNG exports to Europe? Liquefied natural gas is in great demand by our allies. Why would you do that? Cause you understand we just talked about Ukraine, you understand you are fueling Vladimir Putin’s war machine, because they gotta get their gas from him."

Johnson recounted how a stunned Biden replied: "I didn’t do that."

Biden initiated a pause on new LNG export permits in January 2024, a move which has been widely criticized by the oil community and bipartisan lawmakers in the House.

Johnson said that when he reminded the president of the executive order he had signed just weeks ago, Biden denied that what he had signed was a pause on LNG.

BIDEN ISSUES SWEEPING OFFSHORE OIL, GAS DRILLING BAN IN 625M ACRES OF FEDERAL WATERS AHEAD OF TRUMP TRANSITION

Johnson said he argued that the pause would do "massive damage to our economy, national security," and he even suggested that the president’s secretary print out a copy of the order so that the two of them could read it together.

"He genuinely did not know what he had signed," Johnson said. "And I walked out of that meeting with fear and loathing because I thought, ‘We are in serious trouble—who is running the country?’ Like, I don't know who put the paper in front of him, but he didn’t know."

Biden’s LNG pause threatens nearly 1 million jobs over the next two decades if the restriction remains in place, according to a study by the National Association of Manufacturers, which Fox News Digital previously reported on.

The export ban would stifle the U.S. GDP by between $122.5 billion and $215.7 billion in 2044, while between $26.9 billion and $47.7 billion in tax and royalty revenues to federal, state and local governments would be at risk in 2044 if the permit pause persists, the study found.

President-elect Trump, however, reportedly "plans to go strong on the issue" of LNG exports when he assumes office, sources told Reuters in November.

Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady and Eric Revell contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Private citizens — right up to the governor himself — are primed to be part of a new Alaskan initiative aimed at promoting policies that have been effective in Juneau at a national level as a new administration signals a willingness to listen and adapt to new strategies.

Just as Florida's education policy under Gov. Jeb Bush served as a blueprint for national education reform, the nonprofit Future 49 aims to position Alaska as today's model, focusing primarily on national security and energy.

Its top funders are a group of Alaskans of all stripes as well as a few Washington, D.C.-based advocates. It is nonpartisan and simply pro-Alaskan, according to one of its proponents.

It also seeks to dispatch with what one source familiar with its founding called the "out of sight, out of mind" feeling of some in the Lower 48 when it comes to how far-flung Alaska can translate its own successes in the cold north to a federal government that could benefit from its advice.

One of Future 49's founders is a commercial airline pilot whose family has lived in Alaska for more than 125 years. He said he wanted to show Washington issues Alaska deals with every day.

AK GOV: BIDEN SEARCHING FOR OIL ANYWHERE BUT AT HOME

Bob Griffin's family has lived in Alaska since 1899, he said, remarking he is an example of grassroots support behind showcasing Alaska’s potential to be the driving force in key sectors for the rest of the country.

Griffin said while there has not been any direct contact yet with the new administration, Gov. Mike Dunleavy is an ally of Trump’s and, in turn, primed to have a role in the group.

"We’re focused on not only the Trump administration, but other decision makers, to just highlight and advertise that the successes we've had in Alaska in energy, natural resources and other policy priorities are a good fit and benefit to all Americans."

He noted the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge region spans the size of West Virginia, but the part of it federally budgeted for exploration in a recent fiscal year was only an area half the size of Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, illustrating how Juneau must guide Washington.

FLASHBACK: ALASKAN F-35s PREPARE FOR MAJOR SUB-ZERO ARCTIC WARFARE

A source familiar with the founding of Future 49 told Fox News Digital how the group's launch comes at a key juncture as one advice-averse administration transitions into one that has signaled its openness to undertake recommendations from states and local groups.

"The resources our nation needs to be energy-dominant are in Alaska, not in unfriendly nations like Russia and Iran who despise what we stand for and commit egregious environmental offenses on a daily basis," the source said.

ALASKA OUTRAGED AT BIDEN OIL LEASE SALE SETUP BEING ‘FITTING FINALE’ FOR FOSSIL FUEL AVERSE PRESIDENCY

While the group is primed to express a pro-development approach to energy, it will remain nonpartisan and offer Washington successful strategies to develop both green and traditional energy based on work done in Alaska.

Dunleavy has offered a similarly two-fold approach, saying in a recent interview that opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to responsible development may yield just as much economic growth for the nation as emerging green technology, such as a proposal to harness the second-strongest tides in the world churning in Cook Inlet outside Anchorage.

Those parallels show why Future 49's advent is coming at the right time, a source told Fox News Digital.

Future 49's plan to use Alaska's long-term goal to utilize its energy resources as a roadmap was a sentiment also voiced in another confirmation hearing Thursday. Interior nominee Doug Burgum highlighted the need for domestic "energy dominance" for both economic and security reasons.

With Russia having invaded Ukraine, Dunleavy said most sensitive national defense assets are housed in Alaska, so the state has a deep background in what is needed to deter malign actors.

"We're very close to the bear," he said.

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Lessons learned from managing a National Guard force so closely tied to top-level national security concerns is another avenue Future 49 will likely seek to aid Washington in.

The group plans to commission a survey of Lower 48 Americans on their view of the Last Frontier and how they perceive Alaska from thousands of miles away, said Alaska pollster Matt Larkin.

Chris Wright, President-elect Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Energy, is planning to tell senators in charge of his confirmation that he will focus on restoring American "energy dominance" at home and abroad. 

Wright, a fossil fuel executive who in the past has been critical of the media blaming climate change for repeated wildfires, is expected to deliver his opening statement before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday morning. Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the statement in advance ahead of the hearing scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET.

"I am humbled by the great responsibility this position holds," Wright is expected to say in his opening statement. "America has a historic opportunity to secure our energy systems, deliver leadership in scientific and technological innovation, steward our weapons stockpiles, and meet Cold War legacy waste commitments." 

Describing himself as a "science geek, turned tech nerd, turned lifelong energy entrepreneur," Wright will tell the committee how his "fascination with energy started at a young age in Denver, Colorado." His opening statement discusses how he enrolled at MIT "specifically to work on fusion energy" and later started graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley where he worked "on solar energy as well as power electronics."

TRUMP EYES AN END TO NEW WINDMILL PRODUCTION UNDER SECOND TERM, SAYS THEY ARE 'DRIVING THE WHALES CRAZY'

"Energy is the essential agent of change that enables everything that we do. A low energy society is poor. A highly energized society can bring health, wealth, and opportunity for all," Wright will say. "The stated mission of the company that I founded – Liberty Energy – is to better human lives through energy. Liberty works directly in oil, natural gas, next generation geothermal and has partnerships in next-generation nuclear energy and new battery technology." 

"Energy has been a lifelong passion of mine, and I have never been shy about that fact," Wright plans to tell the committee. "Then again, I have never been shy about much. President Trump shares my passion for energy and, if confirmed, I will work tirelessly to implement his bold agenda as an unabashed steward for all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy."

On Tuesday, committee Democrats led by Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico called for Wright's confirmation hearing to be delayed by at least a week, citing how they had not yet received "the standard financial disclosure report, ethics agreement, or the opinions from the designated agency ethics officer and the Office of Government Ethics stating that the nominee is in compliance with the ethics laws." 

Chairman Mike Lee, R-Utah, has already pushed back the confirmation hearing for Doug Burgum, Trump's pick for interior secretary, by two days until Thursday due to an OGE paperwork delay, but Wright's remained on the schedule Wednesday. 

If approved as secretary, Wright would manage energy policy and production in the United States, as well as the nation's nuclear weapon stockpile. He would also work with Burgum on the National Energy Council, where they would develop Trump's energy dominance policy involving increased production of U.S. oil and gas.

Wright has indicated that he plans to resign as CEO and chairman of his fracking company, Liberty Energy, if approved.

DEMS BLAME LA FIRE ON 'CLIMATE CHANGE' DESPITE CITY CUTTING FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET

In his opening statement, Wright identifies three "immediate" tasks that he would focus his attention on if confirmed.

"The first is to unleash American energy at home and abroad to restore energy dominance," Wright will say. "The security of our nation begins with energy. Previous administrations have viewed energy as a liability instead of the immense national asset that it is. To compete globally, we must expand energy production, including commercial nuclear and liquified natural gas, and cut the cost of energy." 

"Second, we must lead the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs," the statement continues. "Throughout my lifetime, technology and innovation have immeasurably enhanced the human condition. We must protect and accelerate the work of the Department’s national laboratory network to secure America’s competitive edge and its security. I commit to working with Congress on the important missions of the national laboratories." 

"Third, we must build things in America again and remove barriers to progress," Wright will say. "Federal policies today make it too easy to stop projects and very hard to start and complete projects. This makes energy more expensive and less reliable. President Trump is committed to lowering energy costs and to do so, we must prioritize cutting red tape, enabling private sector investments, and building the infrastructure we need to make energy more affordable for families and businesses." 

EXCLUSIVE: A new, GOP-introduced congressional resolution could block President Biden's recent ban on natural gas water heaters, Fox News Digital has learned.

In the waning days of the Biden administration, the Department of Energy announced a new rule banning non-condensing, natural gas-fired water heaters by 2029 in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. Republicans in Congress, however, are seeking to intervene.

On Wednesday, Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to overturn rules enacted by federal agencies to circumvent the administration's appliance crackdown, shared first with Fox News Digital.

"It's a radical ban on water heaters. Another example of government overreach under the Biden administration on their way out the door. They care nothing about consumers," Palmer told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. 

NEW BIDEN WATER HEATER BAN WILL DRIVE UP ENERGY PRICES FOR POOR, SENIORS: EXPERT

Proponents of Biden's regulation, such as the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, suggest it will eliminate 32 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from water heaters sold over 30 years. 

However, Palmer said it will have serious economic implications on working Americans given the amount a household would have to pay out of pocket for a new water heater that complies with the rule.

The Alabama congressman expressed confidence that the CRA is going to pass in the House, as several other Republican lawmakers have signed on as sponsors.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., one of the cosponsors of the CRA, told Fox News that "Joe Biden's last-ditch effort to ban gas water heaters in his final days in office is nothing short of another green energy scam."

"This latest assault on American consumers isn't about saving the planet; it's about control, higher costs, and forcing an unsustainable, radical agenda on every household," Burlison said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. "It's time we stand up against this tyranny of regulations and protect the freedoms and choices of the American people." 

NEW. NYC ‘CHAR BROIL’ RULE WOULD FORCE RESTAURANTS TO CUT EMISSIONS BY 75%

Other Republican co-sponsors include Reps. Julia Letlow of Louisiana, Mike Collins of Georgia, Randy Weber of Texas, Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, Barry Moore of Alabama, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Claudia Tenney of New York, Russ Fulcher of Idaho, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, and Jim Baird of Indiana.

The National Propane Gas Association also supports overturning the ban, telling Fox News that it "threatens to eliminate the non-condensing instantaneous gas water heaters market."

"This rule would compel families to replace their existing equipment with unnecessary expensive retrofits, imposing an undue financial burden for a marginal level of energy savings and questionable economic benefits," Steve Kaminski, president and CEO of the National Propane Gas Association told Fox News Digital.

Biden has introduced regulations on several different household appliances during his term, such as washing machines, gas stoves, and ceiling fans. 

However, the Republican-controlled congress is reportedly going to be "very aggressive in rolling back" some of the regulations that evolved from Biden's climate agenda, Palmer said.

In her State of the State address Tuesday, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to lay out her "Cap & Invest" anti-pollution program that critics warn will cause gasoline and utility costs to soar in the already fossil-fuel-averse state.

The plan seeks to reduce emissions by levying companies for their greenhouse gas outputs and investing that money into initiatives like retrofitting buildings to run on green electric power.

A "cap" refers to the limit of greenhouse gas emissions that is imposed by a state. The "cap" is often projected to decrease each year in order to meet climate change prevention goals.

The state then can set up an auction to let energy companies bid on pollution-weight-based "allowances" – the proceeds from which can be invested by the government in "green" initiatives, according to New York Focus.

NY LAWMAKERS DEMAND SUBWAY CHIEF'S OUSTER AFTER COMMENTS DISMISSIVE OF CRIME AMID NEW TOLLS

New York drivers could see more pain at the pump from such a proposal, according to critics like the nonpartisan group Upstate United, which advocates for boosting upstate New York's economy. 

The AAA average gas price in New York sits at $3.14/gallon – comparable to most of the surrounding states except Pennsylvania – which usually remains higher than the rest of the Northeast due to its nationally-third-highest gas tax.

A Hochul spokesman told the New York Post that the governor is "focused on lowering the cost of living, putting money back in New Yorkers’ pockets with refunds, tax credits and more."

Since Democrats took the executive reins from term-limited GOP Gov. George Pataki in 2007 and have held them without interruption, the Empire State has progressively restricted energy exploration in the state. 

The trend began with Gov. David Paterson’s 2010 "timeout" on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas that effectively remains to this day. 

The "Marcellus Shale" range is named for a town in New York – but any fracking activity since that time has occurred on the Pennsylvania end of the deposits.

State Sen. Tom O’Mara, R-Elmira, represents a district that sits on part of the Marcellus oil shale formation that remains untouchable under state policy.

Natural gas wells dot the countryside in neighboring Bradford and Tioga counties just to the south in Pennsylvania, but the landscape is clear of any signs of exploration to those traversing NY-17 through New York’s Southern Tier only a few miles away.

HOCHUL CHRISTMASTIME BOAST OF SAFER SUBWAYS CAME AMID STRING OF ALARMING VIOLENT ATTACKS

On Monday, O’Mara criticized what he called the latest "radical climate mandate" to be handed down:

"Gov. Hochul and the Albany Democrats are going to keep talking about addressing New York's affordability crisis. But it's clear that their actions like Cap and Invest, more aptly called 'Cap and Tax'… will only keep driving this state into the ground economically," he said.

In 2014, O’Mara slammed New York’s original decision to ban fracking in his area, saying it "eviscerates the hope of so many Southern Tier farmers, landowners, businesses and potential jobs in the natural gas industry."

Hochul’s cap-and-tax plan, he said, will only increase the cost of doing business in New York and drive more families and employers out of the state while exacerbating the affordability crisis.

The plan shows the governor is out of touch with New Yorkers, Assembly Minority Leader William Barclay told Fox News Digital.

"The last thing we need is more unworkable environmental policy from Albany that drives costs up and drives residents away. Democrats constantly lecture us about the need for Cap and Invest and other misguided energy policy, but when people are paying more at the pump and can’t afford their heating bills, who benefits?" asked Barclay, R-Oneida.

"It’s our responsibility to make sure New Yorkers have reliable, affordable energy sources – not force consumers to subsidize the green dreams of the liberal environmental lobby." 

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In 2021, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo successfully shuttered the massive 2,000MW Indian Point nuclear power generation plant on the Hudson River opposite Haverstraw.

Cuomo cited safety concerns at the time and said "it does not belong… in close proximity to the most densely-populated area in the country." Critics responded that that area cited – New York City – relied heavily on the power it generated and complained of increased utility bills.

A 2019 law commits New York to net-zero emissions by 2050, according to The New York Times.

Nationally, "Cap & Trade" first entered the American lexicon during the 2008 presidential campaign, when then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., wooed environmentalists with the idea of taxing entities that release greenhouse gases and affect the atmosphere.

Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested that President-elect Trump's suggestion that Canada become America's "51st state" was a distraction from the tariff threat. 

"I know that as a successful negotiator, he likes to keep people a little off balance. The 51st state, that’s not going to happen," Trudeau told MSNBC’s "Inside with Jen Psaki" on Sunday. "It’s just a non-starter. Canadians are incredibly proud of being Canadian. But people are now talking about that, as opposed to talking about what impact 25% tariffs [has] on steel and aluminum coming into the United States, on energy, whether it's oil and gas or electricity."

"No American wants to pay 25% more for electricity or oil and gas coming in from Canada," Trudeau said in the interview with Psaki, President Biden’s former White House press secretary. "That’s something I think people need to pay a little more attention to. And perhaps the idea of a 51st state is distracting a little bit from a very real question that will increase the cost of living for Americans and harm a trading relationship that works extremely well."

Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports. The president-elect also said that if Canada merged with the U.S., taxes would decrease and there would be no tariffs. 

The president-elect has also taken shots at Trudeau, referring to him as the "governor" of Canada. Last Monday, Trudeau announced that he would resign as Canada's prime minister once his Liberal Party chooses a new leader on March 9. 

GROWING CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT IN CANADA IS FIGHTING BACK AGAINST 'CALIFORNIA ON STEROIDS,' SAYS STRATEGIST

"From my very first conversations with him back in 2016, he told me how much he admires Canada, how much he appreciates and likes us, so there is a certain amount of flattery in this that he thinks that we are as great as we are," Trudeau said of Trump on Sunday. "He’s right, we are great. We’re also very, very proud of being Canadian. If you talk to any Canadian, you ask them to define what it is to be Canadian, they’ll talk about all sorts of different things, but one of the things we will point out is, ‘and we’re not Americans.’" 

On Trudeau’s trip to Mar-a-Lago in November, the Canadian prime minister said the topic of the U.S. annexing Canada did come up, but Trudeau said once he joked that Canada could annex Vermont or California as a sort of trade, Trump "immediately decided it was not that funny anymore, and we moved on to a different conversation." 

"This isn’t out of the blue that he’s doing this, but my focus has to be not on something that he’s talking about that will not ever happen, but more on something that might well happen, that if he does choose to go forward with tariffs that raise the costs of just about everything for American citizens, that on top of that, we’re going to have a robust response to that," Trudeau said. 

"We are ready to respond with tariffs as necessary," Trudeau said. 

Canadian officials say that if Trump follows through with his threat of punishing tariffs, Canada would consider slapping retaliatory tariffs on American orange juice, toilets and some steel products. 

MAGAFEST DESTINY? TRUMP FLEXES HIS MUSCLES WITH REPEATED TALK OF AMERICAN EXPANSIONISM

Trudeau recalled that Trump previously put tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum during his first term, and Canada responded by putting tariffs on bourbon, Harley Davidson motorcycles, orange juice, playing cards and other such items that Trudeau argued Canadians could easily find replacements for. 

"It ended up causing a lot of loss in American businesses for whom Canada is their number one export partner. We are the number one export partner for about 35 different U.S. states, and anything that thickens the border between us ends up costing American citizens and American jobs. That’s not what President Trump got elected to do," Trudeau said. "I know he got elected to try and make life easier for all Americans, to support American workers. These are things that are going to hurt them." 

Trump said last week that the U.S. does not need oil – or anything else – from Canada, but almost a quarter of the oil that the U.S. consumes each day comes from Canada. The energy-rich western province of Alberta exports 4.3 million barrels of oil a day to the U.S., according to the Associated Press. Data from the United States Energy Information Administration shows that the U.S. consumes 20 million barrels a day, and produces about 13.2 million barrels a day.

Canada, a founding partner of NATO and home to more than 40 million people, is also the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $2.7 billion worth of goods and services cross the border each day.

Trump has said that he would reconsider his tariff threat if Canada made improvements in managing security at the Canada-U.S. border, which he and his advisers see as a potential entry point for illegal immigrants.

Trudeau has said that less than 1% of illegal immigrants and fentanyl cross into the U.S. from Canada.

Nevertheless, after his meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Trudeau announced an increase in spending on border security, expressing willingness to address Trump’s concerns in hopes that he would reconsider his tariff threat.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President-elect Donald J. Trump's return to the White House comes at a critical moment for America's energy future. We are experiencing unprecedented demand for reliable power to fuel burgeoning technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. That demand is expected to grow exponentially over the coming years. In President Biden’s Washington, Democrats have lurched further and further to the left in a failed attempt to excite his political base by pushing unrealistic dreams of an electric grid powered only by unpredictable wind and solar. Fortunately, Trump understands that our energy security, technological edge, and national security are at stake. We have already seen the premium that the new administration places on good energy policy with the announcement of the brand-new National Energy Council.

The amount of energy used by AI data centers alone is expected to skyrocket over the next decade. Every time a new technology is announced, or there is a breakthrough in quantum computing, there is a corresponding increase in energy demand. Other countries around the world, particularly China, are building massive data centers and the energy infrastructure necessary to power advancements in AI. Meanwhile, America’s energy sector has been hamstrung for four years by policymaking that has sought to restrict and contract energy production rather than unlock its full potential.

With the past as prologue, Trump’s first term and his record on supporting reliable nuclear power as a vital energy source provide cause for optimism about the new direction of U.S. energy policy. Trump has a track record of delivering results on nuclear power and demonstrating what is possible when we put America first.

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Within the first six months of his first term, Trump announced an initiative to unlock the power of American innovation on the industry. He said, "First, we will begin to revive and expand our nuclear energy sector — which I’m so happy about — which produces clean, renewable and emissions-free energy."

In 2019, Trump’s Department of Energy (DOE) finalized loan guarantees that totaled $12 billion to finance the construction of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia. This was the first nuclear plant to begin construction in the U.S. in decades. This accomplishment was not just about creating jobs or expanding our production capacity. It was a downpayment on our future technological innovation.

That same year, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum to establish the United States Nuclear Fuel Working Group. It was a meaningful acknowledgment that there are national security implications around the need to produce nuclear power. Ultimately, the administration proposed a Uranium Reserve Program at DOE to ensure that America has a secure energy future.

Trump’s forward-looking approach also provided an important counter to China. Previous administrations had ignored the efforts that China was undertaking to dominate both the global nuclear and AI markets. The Trump administration, however, took concrete action to restrict nuclear exports to China and was successful in convincing allies to buy nuclear technology from America rather than China.

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Many Democrats in Washington want you to believe that their green agenda is the only way forward and refuse to entertain any other ideas, no matter how worthy they are. Most Americans already understand the reality that powering AI and other future technologies with only solar and wind power is a fantasy. They are unreliable, uneconomical, and unable to provide the amount of power America needs. Thankfully, President Trump has already laid much of the groundwork to protect existing nuclear capacity and invest in the future. We now have a real opportunity to add nuclear capacity through new plants or by reviving shuttered plants that we desperately need. However, we must ensure that our existing nuclear fleet, which has seen a number of closures in the past decade, is preserved. This two-fold strategy will provide the additional around-the-clock power we need, support the current infrastructure, and power technological innovation.

Energy policy does not exist in a vacuum. It is inextricably tied to America's technological future and global economic leadership. Protecting existing nuclear capacity and expanding it means we can power more AI, more quantum computing, and more technological innovation at home, all with power that runs around-the-clock in every weather condition. Every advancement in nuclear technology strengthens our national security and ensures we don't cede our technological edge to China or Russia.

During a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, Trump touted the benefits of nuclear energy and pledged to embrace it as an energy source. He said, "I will do rapid approvals for new energy infrastructure, and we will embrace all forms of energy including nuclear. Nuclear is a great energy." China is aggressively expanding its industrial and technological infrastructure. We can't let inadequate energy capacity hold us back. I am confident that the team that President Trump has assembled, including North Dakota Gov. Doug Bergum at the Department of the Interior and Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright at DOE, understand this.

Recent news that China plans to ban the sale of critical minerals to the US has sent a massive chill down the spines of American manufacturers and investors, threatening to damage our economy to the tune of billions of dollars. This presents a choice for America. Will we take control of our own economic future and embrace the wealth of resources literally beneath our feet, or will we roll over and let hostile adversaries like China dictate the economic and national security trajectory of the 21st Century?

As explained in recent reports, China has announced an export ban on gallium, germanium and antimony. These minerals are essential to the manufacture of electric vehicles, renewable energy sources, computers, smartphones and defense technology like radar systems, to offer just a few examples. In other words, minerals like these are key to competing in the economy of the future; China has them, they won’t export them anymore and that leaves our economy at a disadvantage – unless we step up and seize the moment.

Right now, we’re living in the kind of transformative economic era not seen since the last industrial revolution. Over the past three decades, the world economy has rapidly digitized, which now means that minerals like those being held hostage by China are more critical to both our prosperity and our national security. And that is exactly why China would not want the rest of the world to have them.

TRUMP PLANS TO 'IMMEDIATELY' REVERSE BIDEN'S ‘RIDICULOUS’ BAN ON NEW OIL AND GAS DRILLING ALONG US COAST

The fact of the matter is that he who pays the piper gets to call the tune. That’s as true in politics and daily life as it is in the global economy. When the United States and our allies are dependent on bad actors and adversaries for the things we need to drive our economy, we are naturally going to be less prosperous, less secure and less free.  As Governor of the state of Alaska, I have a solution for America to deal with this problem.

The Chinese Communist Party is not our ally and it is time that we started acting like it. Our current status as trading partners has been an uneasy and unsustainable relationship of convenience for decades now and we can now fully see the effects of allowing that relationship to make us dependent on them for our economic well-being and the instruments of our daily lives.

Fortunately, the United States is more than equipped to meet this moment thanks to our northernmost state. Alaska is not only rich in energy, but also endowed with an enormous abundance of mineral resources across the state. All we need to do is simply take advantage of what we already have available. Alaska is home to 49 of 50 critical minerals like the ones China does not want us to have.

Unfortunately, our access to them as a country has been drastically hindered by bad policy and misguided politics. For nearly four years, the Biden-Harris administration’s "look, but don’t touch" approach to Alaska has been depriving the hard-working Americans I serve of employment and the American people as a whole of the materials we need to succeed economically.

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Some worry that accessing these mineral resources will come at the cost of Alaska’s wildlife and natural beauty, but I find these arguments absurd. Nobody cares more about preserving America’s final frontier than the men and women who live, hunt and fish here. We can do both successfully, and we have for centuries.

Thomas Jefferson once famously wrote that dependence "begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition." Given the fact that a simple export ban from the other side of the Pacific Ocean now threatens to harm our economy so severely, it is hard to argue with Mr. Jefferson. To compete in the 21st century, America needs critical minerals for consumer products and defense systems, and we need energy to power both. Our need for those is not going to diminish; if we want our children to inherit the prosperity and independence we value, then it’s time to stop looking abroad for the building blocks of a strong America and start looking north to Alaska.