Promises Made, Promises Kept

Energy Prices Are Falling and Production is Expanding. 

• So far in President Trump’s second term, Americans are on track to spend the lowest amount of their disposable income on gas in the last two decades amid the Trump Administration’s pursuit of American Energy Dominance.
  • Americans are expected to spend $11 billion less for gas in 2026.
    • That would translate to an average household spending of $2,083 on gas for the year, down from $2,716 in 2022.
  • According to AAA, average gas prices have dipped below $3 per gallon in 42 states.
• As President Trump’s Energy Dominance vision continues to come to fruition, energy prices will fall further — igniting other price declines.
  • Cumulatively, energy costs (including gasoline, electricity, etc.) were $5,223 per American household under the 4 years of the Biden administration.
  • U.S. natural gas production is forecasted to reach record highs in 2026 and 2027 thanks to President Trump’s Energy Dominance Agenda.

Secretary Burgum Has Advanced Trump's Energy Dominance Agenda

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Since swearing in to the Department of the Interior, Secretary Burgum has implemented President Trump’s agenda to secure American Energy Dominance and capitalize on America’s Balance Sheet. 

On Oil & Gas;

• In the first year of President Trump’s second term, oil and gas lease sales from the Bureau of Land Management brought in $356.6 million, more revenue than in all four years of the Biden administration combined.
  • Since Jan. 20, 2025, the BLM held 22 lease sales and generated over $187 million by leasing 206 parcels totaling 165,681 acres across 10 states (Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming).
    • The BLM also approved 6,106 Applications for Permits to Drill (APDs), more Applications for Permits to Drill since January 20 than in any other fiscal year over the past 15 years.
      • Under President Trump, Secretary Burgum’s Department of Interior has approved 63.7 percent more Federal and Indian drilling permits compared to his predecessor over the same period at this point in their presidency.
  • On April 24, the Department of the Interior introduced a new policy to boost offshore oil output in the Gulf of America.
    • This change, the result of extensive technical consultation with offshore industry leaders, could increase production output by roughly 10%, which would translate into over 100,000 barrels per day production increase over the next ten years.
    • Over 30 years, it provides 61% more oil recovery, and over 50 years, it yields 21% more.
  • On December 10, the Department of the Interior successfully conducted the first mandatory offshore oil and gas lease sale required under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
    • The sale generated $300,425,222 in high bids for 181 blocks across 80 million acres in federal waters of the Gulf of America. Thirty companies submitted 219 bids totaling $371,881,093.
  • In 2025, the BLM also took steps to unleash Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential and expand oil and gas development in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve; ended the requirement to prepare environmental impact statements for approximately 3,224 oil and gas leases across 3.5 million acres in seven Western states; streamlined the oil and gas leasing process on public lands; and updated rules for commingling, or combining oil or gas from multiple sources for more efficient measurement and processing, to align with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

On Restoring Power Grid Reliability;

• On January 16, 2026, National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) Chairman and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, alongside Vice Chairman and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, announced a landmark agreement with a bipartisan group of governors to expand the nation’s energy supply, safeguard affordability and support the rapid expansion of data-center development.
  • For years, electricity prices within the PJM market, which serves the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Midwest, have risen faster than almost anywhere else in the country, in part, because of the previous administration’s war on American energy.
    • To reverse this, President Donald J. Trump and the NEDC have secured an agreement with several states to advance more than $15 billion in new power-generation projects.
      • These projects are designed to strengthen grid reliability and meet the surging energy demands of the digital economy.

On Delivering Peace through Energy Security;

• President Trump’s vision to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe and our allies around the world is part of our broader push for U.S. “Energy Dominance.”
  • At Interior we have taken strides to reverse the Biden administration’s pause on new LNG export infrastructure permits and widen our access to reliable and affordable sources of energy.
  • LNG has become an integral tool in expanding America’s geopolitical influence, and will deter our allies from relying on foreign adversaries for their production
    • In 2026, the Trump administration is expecting to export four billion more cubic feet of natural gas per day than the last year of the Biden administration.
    • The four billion more cubic feet of natural gas per day will be a 33 percent increase compared to 2024. 

On Making America Beautiful Again;

• On February 11,the Make America Beautiful Again (MABA) commission today launched its strategic initiative MABA 250 — a results-driven agenda to conserve America’s natural beauty and expand outdoor recreation opportunities.
  • Chaired by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, this initiative builds on 250 years of environmental progress and will serve as a governing framework for conservation policies over the next 250 years.
  • Key Priority Areas to Make America Beautiful Again:
    • Balance Stewardship and Economic Growth: Environmental protection and responsible development of natural resources are not mutually exclusive; America’s Golden Age is about Energy Dominance and conservation abundance.
    • Increase Access for Hunting, Fishing, and Other Forms of Recreation: Expanding and improving public access to outdoor recreation on public lands and waters and modernizing National Park and public lands access through common sense polices and technological innovation.
    • Expand Voluntary Conservation: Strengthening and streamlining voluntary conservation efforts that sustain America’s lands, waters, and wildlife for the 21st century.
    • Cut Red Tape Driven by Climate Extremists and Bureaucracy in the Outdoors: Cutting ridiculous bureaucratic delays that hinder conservation and restoration work.
    • Recover Species and Supporting Habitat: Leveraging partnerships and voluntary actions to foster thriving wildlife populations and the resilient ecosystems that support these populations. 

On Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful;

• President Trump’s joint operation to make D.C. Safe and Beautiful has resulted in over 10,000 criminal arrests, taking violent criminals off the streets of our nation’s capital.
  • So far, fifty-two known gang members have been arrested.
    • Over 1,000 illegal firearms have been removed from the city’s streets.
    • 19 missing children have been recovered.
    • Twenty-Eight suspected murderers have been arrested for crimes previously committed.
    • Thirty-Four arrests have been made over sexual related offenses in the District.
  • Over 80 homeless camps have been removed from federal lands by U.S. Park Police.
  • On January 9, 2026, the Department of the Interior announced a 3.8 percent pay increase for all Department law enforcement officers.
    • The pay increase represents another example of the Trump administration’s commitment to supporting the men and women whose service is critical to the safety of our communities and the protection of America’s public lands and resources.

On Recognizing and Advancing America’s Native Communities;

• On January 30, 2026, the Department of the Interior affirmed its commitment to tribal sovereignty by adding the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina to the official list of federally recognized tribes.
  • The Department of the Interior Indian Affairs published the updated list in the Federal Register following President Donald J. Trump’s signing of legislation in December 2025 granting full federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe.
    • The action affirms the tribe’s government-to-government relationship with the United States and fulfills a promise President Trump made to the Lumbee people.
  • On January 15, 2026, the Department of the Interior today announced the Bureau of Indian Education reached its highest graduation rate in its history, reflecting sustained reforms and accountability measures.
    • Student graduation rates at Bureau of Indian Education-funded high schools increased from 51% in 2015 to 79% in 2025.  
    • These gains surpass pre-pandemic levels and continue despite national declines in student outcomes following the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Restoring Water Security;

• President Trump has made clear that federal water projects must deliver real results for American families.
  • The Department of the Interior has acted on President Trump’s Executive Order 14181 to provide water resources in California and improve disaster response in certain areas.
  • On January 23, 2026, the Department of the Interior marked the one-year anniversary of President Donald J. Trump’s water supply directive by approving the Record of Decision for the Sites Reservoir Project.
    • The decision authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to provide up to 25 percent of the total cost for the 1.5 million acre-foot off-stream reservoir, which will be located west of the Sacramento River.
    • Designed to capture and store water during wet periods for use in dry years, the project will strengthen reliability for communities, agriculture and the environment across the state.
    • The action reflects the Trump administration’s priority to expand water supply, enhance system resilience and reduce regulatory delays.
  • Reclamation continues to implement President Trump’s Executive Order 14181 as it advances both near-term operational improvements and long-term infrastructure projects that support food production, strengthen economic stability and increase community resilience.

On Fighting Wildland Fires;

• On January 12, 2026, the Department of the Interior announced next steps to establish the U.S. Wildland Fire Service.
  • Interior appointed a new leader to oversee the implementation of the new service with the vision of unifying the wildland fire management programs across the Department’s bureaus and offices.
    • Establishing a unified U.S. Wildland Fire Service will streamline decision-making, improve operational efficiency and enhance the Department’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to wildfire threats.
    • The vision behind a new service is to better protect lives, communities, critical infrastructure and public and tribal lands through a more integrated wildland fire management approach.
  • On March 15, 2025, the Department of the Interior announced permanent pay increases for federal and tribal wildland firefighters across the United States.
    • Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Interior will continue to take decisive action to support the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect American communities from devastating wildfires.
  • On February 2, 2026, the Department of the Interior announced that up to $20 million is available to strengthen local governments’ wildfire response capacity.
    • A key priority for President Donald J. Trump, the Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program equips small, remote emergency response agencies with practical, deployable tools that strengthen preparedness and protect lives, property and infrastructure.

On Deregulation;

• On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed the Unleashing American Energy executive order to establish Energy Dominance through Efficient Permitting.
  • The order called for agencies like the Department of Interior to expedite and simplify the permitting process and prioritize efficiency and certainty over any other objectives.
  • On April 23, 2025, in coordination with the White House, the Department of the Interior implemented emergency permitting procedures to accelerate the development of domestic energy resources and critical minerals.
    • The new permitting procedures reduced a multi-year process down to just 28 days at most.
  • On June 30, 2025, in coordination with the White House, the Department of the Interior announced reforms to join the historic effort to fix America’s broken permitting system.
    • These reforms are designed to modernize the federal environmental review process and prevent unnecessary regulations from being weaponized to delay American innovation and expansion.
  • DOI’s National Environmental Policy Acy reforms will drastically reduce burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations that have impeded the development of American resources, limited the generation of reliable and affordable electricity, reduced job creation, and inflicted high energy costs upon our citizens.

On Critical Minerals;

• On November 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior, through the U.S. Geological Survey, released the Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals and a report that outlines a new model for assessing how potential supply chain disruptions could affect the U.S. economy.
  • The 2025 List marks the third list since the effort began under a 2017 Executive Order (EO 13817) by President Trump directing federal agencies to strengthen mineral security.
    • The Energy Act of 2020 signed by President Trump requires the list to be reviewed at least every three years to reflect new data and changing supply conditions.
    • Accordingly, the list is not static; it is intended to be dynamic and will be updated at least every two years to reflect evolving circumstances.

On Coal;

• Under President Trump in 2025, the Department of the Interior held 4 coal lease sales, generating $47 million and offering 82.4 million tons of coal for development.
  • The BLM administers coal leasing across 570 million acres of public land which currently includes 273 federal coal leases encompassing 404,847 acres in 11 states.
    • On September 29, the bureau announced the opening of 13.1 million more acres of federal land for coal leasing, tripling benchmarks set by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and delivering on President Trump’s directive to restore American Energy Dominance.
  • On February 18, 2026, the Department of the Interior has signed an amendment to its cooperative agreement with the State of West Virginia, giving the state expanded authority to regulate coal mining and reclamation on federal lands within its borders.
    • The change builds on the cooperative framework established under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977.

On Wind & Solar;

• Under President Trump, the Department of Interior has removed artificial energy advantages and levelled the playing field for dispatchable, cost-effective and secure energy sources, such as clean coal and domestic natural gas.
  • American Energy Dominance is driven by U.S.-based production of reliable baseload energy, not regulatory favoritism towards unreliable energy projects that are solely dependent on taxpayer subsidies and foreign-sourced equipment.
    • On July 17, Secretary Burgum signed a directive ending preferential treatment for unreliable, subsidy-heavy wind and solar projects.
  • Under the new Secretary Order, all wind and solar proposals on federal land now face elevated review by the Secretary’s office and will no longer receive automatic approvals.
    • Longstanding fee discounts and subsidies for wind and solar rights-of-way and capacity have been wiped out by President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts.
    • Interior’s moves have backed dependable energy sources like natural gas and clean coal, boosting grid reliability and national security. 

On Unleashing Alaska’s Energy Potential;

• Under this administration, the Department of Interior has prioritized rescinding the last administration’s flawed energy policies and is working tirelessly to unleash Alaska’s untapped natural resources.
  • One of Secretary Burgum’s first actions at the Department of Interior was to implement a Secretarial Order to unleash Alaska's extraordinary resource potential.
    • The order was designed to raise Americans prosperity and boost our Nation's economic and national security for generations to come by, among other policies:
      • Reopening 82% of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska available to leasing and expanding energy development opportunities in the approximately 23-million-acre reserve;
        • Reinstating a program that makes the entire 1.56-million-acre Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge available for oil and gas leasing;
          • The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the Coastal Plain could hold up to 11.8 billion barrels of oil.
        • Expediting the permitting and leasing of energy and natural resource projects in Alaska (including specifically for the rights of way and easement for roads that enable this development to occur;
        • Revoking the withdrawals along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Corridor and Dalton Highway north of the Yukon River in order to convey those lands to State of Alaska.
          • This action paves the way forward for the proposed Ambler Road and the Alaska Liquified Natural Gas Pipeline project, two projects that stand to increase job opportunities and encourage Alaska’s economic growth
        • The pipeline project seeks to funnel about 3.3 billion cubic feet of gas a day (Bcf/d) from Prudhoe Bay above the North Slope to Nikiski on the Kenai Peninsula, about 80 miles south of Anchorage; and
          • Prioritizing the development of Alaska's liquified natural gas (LNG) potential, including the sale and transportation of Alaskan LNG to other regions of the United States and allied nations within the Pacific region.
  • Alaska's natural resources are estimated to be significant, with the state's mineral industry reported to be worth $3.2 billion in 2020, a 5 percent increase from 2019.
    • According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska’s North Slope contains an estimated 53.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas hydrate resources.

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