Administration's Executive Order On Climate And Energy Is Controversial, And May Shift Action To States

On March 28, 2017, President Trump issued an "Executive Order on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth" (E.O.) that takes aim at a broad range of federal climate and energy programs and regulations. The E.O. articulates a policy direction that runs counter to the previous administration's Climate Action Plan and sets in motion a process to reverse many of the actions associated with that Plan. In addition, the E.O. lifts the current leasing moratorium on federal coal and starts a process to revise certain oil and gas programs and rules.

Implementation and execution of the E.O. and this new policy direction will almost certainly face significant procedural and operational hurdles, as well as strong opposition from diverse constituencies on multiple fronts. Additionally, states that have long been leaders in the climate and clean energy area, such as California, and states that have more recently begun to assert leadership in that area, such as New York, can