Trump Sets Expiration Dates on Energy Regulations

President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring the automatic expiration of certain federal energy regulations unless they are explicitly renewed, the White House announced. The move is intended to overhaul decades-old rules and promote domestic energy production and innovation.

The order applies to 10 agencies and subagencies, mandating each one to insert a one-year expiration date into existing energy regulations. If not extended before the deadline, regulations are to expire no later than Sept. 30, 2026.

Agencies are expected to retain only those regulations that demonstrably support American interests. Any regulation not affirmatively extended will be rescinded, effectively resetting the regulatory framework for the US energy sector, mentions the White House.

Future energy regulations will also be subject to a five-year expiration date, unless the new regulation is itself deregulatory. This measure is designed to keep energy policy aligned with technological developments and evolving market conditions.

The executive order excludes permitting regimes, which will remain unchanged to ensure long-term development projects are not affected by the new framework.

According to the administration, the goal is to counter what it views as regulatory stagnation dating back to the 1970s. President Trump stated the order aims to shift the regulatory environment toward energy abundance rather than efficiency alone.

The new policy, which the White House refers to as “zero-based regulation,” requires agencies to justify the continued existence of each energy regulation. If an agency fails to act, the regulation will automatically expire, removing what the administration calls bureaucratic inertia.