Trump issues orders aiming to drill in contentious Alaska areas, revisit Biden climate rules

President Trump late Monday issued a pair of executive orders that seek to bolster oil and gas drilling — including in contentious areas of Alaska. 

One order seeks to open up drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and National Petroleum Reserve.

The other initiates a review of all policies that “burden the development of domestic energy resources.”

The latter order also specifically targets former President Biden’s electric vehicle push — stating that it is U.S. policy “to eliminate the ‘electric vehicle (EV) mandate.’”

Many of the measures do not necessarily change the rules on the books right away — instead directing federal agencies to begin the lengthy process of undoing Biden policies that also took years to complete.

Signing the Alaska order in the Oval Office, Trump was particularly enthusiastic about opening up drilling in the wildlife refuge.

Drilling in the refuge is particularly controversial because the area is home to wildlife including grizzly bears, polar bears, gray wolves, caribou and more than 200 species of birds. It also  contains lands sacred to the Gwich’in people. But Republicans have long-eyed it as a source of oil and a way to bolster the local economy — including of local tribes.

In addition to the electric vehicle rule, the order also targets Biden’s efficiency rules for household appliances, stating that it is U.S. policy to maximize consumer choice in: lightbulbs, dishwashers, washing machines, gas stoves, water heaters, toilets and shower heads. 

The Trump administration rolled back energy efficiency rules for household appliances in his first term and Trump himself made disparaging the more energy-efficient versions part of his stump speech, taking aim at everything from low-flow toilets to energy-efficient light bulbs in remarks at rallies. Gas stoves, meanwhile, became a hot-button issue among Republicans during the Biden administration after U.S. Consumer Product Safety officials suggested it was exploring restrictions on them due to links to childhood asthma.

However, 97 percent of gas stoves on the market already complied with the standards the department finalized last January.

— Updated at 9:40 p.m.