Trump’s plan to reshape US energy and environmental policy could redefine climate response

President-elect Donald Trump aims to overhaul energy and environmental policies, from boosting fossil fuels to dismantling Biden-era regulations, signaling a major shift in America’s approach to climate action.

Robin Bravender reports for E&E News.


In short:

  • Trump’s team plans to reverse Biden’s environmental protections, focusing on fossil fuel expansion and regulatory rollbacks.
  • Key appointments, including figures like Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., may oversee policy shifts, with Musk potentially leading deregulation efforts and Kennedy targeting public health agency practices.
  • Clean energy advocates brace for resistance, hoping existing renewable projects, many in Republican districts, will sustain bipartisan support despite Trump’s rollback plans.

Key quote:

“Trump 2.0 is going to get twice the fight from the protectors of our planet, wildlife and basic human rights."

— Kierán Suckling, Center for Biological Diversity

Why this matters:

Trump’s policy agenda indicates a return to a more traditional, fossil-fuel-heavy approach. Clean energy supporters, who have seen renewables make major inroads even in red states, are now bracing for impact, hoping that existing bipartisan investments in wind and solar—especially in conservative-leaning areas—might soften Trump’s forceful approach. Read more: Donald Trump wins US presidency. What that could mean for the environment.

A row of solar panels in the snow with the setting sun in the background

‘A ray of hope’: EU governments gathering to plan way out of fossil fuel reliance

Energy crises could be a thing of the past if reliable, cheap and abundant clean energy is given precedence over fossil fuels.
North Atlantic erosion eating away at the coastline jeopardizing structures

Critical Atlantic current significantly more likely to collapse than thought

Scientists say finding is ‘very concerning’ as collapse would be catastrophic for Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Siberian taiga and the river Tunguska fall from a helicopter. Larch taiga in September on the banks of the river and in Evenkia. Krasnoyarsk region Russia
Credit: okyela/BigStock Photo ID: 218595346

Rusting rivers: Alarm grows over uptick in acidic Arctic waters

Climate change has thawed permafrost and increased rainfall in the Far North, producing sulfuric acid that is turning rivers and lakes yellow or rusty orange. Scientists are scrambling to parse the impacts on wildlife, fish, and the drinking water of Indigenous communities.
Elevated Outer Banks beach house threatened by rising sea levels

Analysis: Despite Trump actions, the most dangerous climate argument today isn’t denial — it’s delay

Belief in climate change is rising, but action stalls. New research reveals how subtle narratives are slowing policy – and how to fight back.
Gas dehydration process to remove moisture from gas before enter to carbon dioxide unit, pressurize vessel and piping of petrochemical industry.
Credit: stockerfreelance/BigStock Photo ID: 251854741

Carbon removal industry reels as Microsoft retreats

Once held up as a key solution to climate change, a field that aims to remove carbon from the atmosphere is struggling to catch on.
Trucks for transporting cranberries off to a processing plant drive along the edge of the vibrant red berry filled bog
Credit: duckeesue/BigStock Photo ID: 38367985

Cranberry bog data project shows how to turn the farms into wetlands

The largest restored wetlands in Massachusetts now cover hundreds of acres of what used to be cranberry farms.
Many solar panels arranged in a circular pattern viewed from above

Solar power in Morocco's desert: Bold vision, mixed results

A massive solar tower in the Moroccan desert is the beacon of an ambitious push for a clean energy future. But fossil fuels and grid constraints stand in the way.
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.