Major Environmental Policy Shifts Under Trump 2.0

In his second term, President Trump is focusing on deregulation and other environmental policies that he believes will accelerate innovation, create jobs, and bolster the American economy and national security. To that end, new EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced in February that the Trump administration’s environmental policy priorities will be guided by five pillars “to achieve the agency’s mission while energizing the greatness of the American economy.” Specifically, the agency’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative will focus on the following:

1. Clean air, land, and water.
2. Restoring American energy dominance.
3. Permitting reform, cooperative federalism, and crossagency partnership.
4. Making the U.S. the AI capital of the world.
5. Protecting and bringing back American auto jobs.

…the Trump administration’s environmental policy priorities will be guided by five pillars…

Energy Production In, Environmental Justice Out

On his first day in office, President Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 14154, “Unleashing American Energy,” to expand America’s energy supply, lower costs, and create jobs. It aims to limit regulations that Trump believes have impeded the development of American energy and natural resources. To that end, EO 14154 revokes many of the Biden administration’s environmental policies, including programs that prioritized environmental justice (EO 14096), required disclosure of climate-related financial risk (EO 14030), created the Justice40 initiative (EO 14008), and recommitted the U.S. to the Paris Agreement (EO 14008).

…President Trump signed Executive Order (E) 14154, “Unleashing American Energy,” to expand America’s energy supply, lower costs, and create jobs.…the Trump administration’s environmental policy priorities will be guided by five pillars…

In tandem, EPA has realigned its enforcement priorities in adherence to EO 14154, which includes deemphasizing climate change and EJ in the agency’s FY 2024–2027 National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives (NECIs) and ensuring that enforcement activities don’t impede energy production unless there’s an imminent and substantial threat to human health.

EPA has also removed the EJScreen and Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool from its website, in line with the Trump administration’s goal to eradicate “DEI” programs (EO 14151). These mapping tools were used to identify EJ communities and determine eligibility for certain grants and other programs.

Another Trump EO (EO 14173) rescinded a long-standing directive from President Clinton (EO 12898) that required agencies to incorporate EJ into their missions “to the greatest extent practicable,” called for consistent enforcement of all health and environmental statutes, and mandated improved research of the well-being of “minority and low-income populations.”

Deregulatory Changes, Funding Freezes

Administrator Zeldin has promised other sweeping changes to the EPA, including substantial cuts to the agency’s total spending. Additionally, in March, Zeldin announced a series of deregulatory actions that the EPA administrator says will cut costs for businesses and American families. These include reconsideration of the greenhouse gas reporting program and national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants, among other Obama- and Biden-era regulations. The administrator has also pledged to revise the long-litigated waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.

…Zeldin announced a series of deregulatory actions that the EPA administrator says will cut costs for businesses and American families…

He also announced the termination of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grants awarded to recipients under the National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator programs, citing allegations of fraud and waste. However, a federal judge temporarily blocked EPA from ending the program, ruling that the government “gave no legal justification for the termination” of the contracts. The ruling prevents EPA from reclaiming money it has already deposited to Citibank (the steward of the funds). Still, it is unclear whether the “green bank” grant recipients will be able to access the funds while litigation is pending. The GGRF program was created under the Inflation Reduction Act.Chandler, Arizona’s data center ordinance outlines strict location and operational protocols for data centers, specifying that they can only be located within Planned Area Development (PAD) zoning districts. It also includes provisions for noise mitigation, public communication requirements, and annual compliance monitoring to minimize community impact.Pranava Raparla, a Presidential Innovation Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Policy/Office of Critical & Emerging Technologies, highlighted the importance and benefits of repurposing existing infrastructure for data centers during the ELI webinar. He discussed initiatives to transform retired and retiring industrial sites, such as coal plants and manufacturing facilities in Energy Communities, into data centers and clean technology hubs, noting these sites have existing grid connections and the communities are hungry for development.The Path Forward

Disclaimer: The information in this article was current as of April 4, 2025. Additions and changes to policy directives are ongoing and could impact the accuracy of the content presented. To stay up to date with changes to environmental and energy policy, please refer to the tracking sources listed; and consult a legal professional for specific and intended courses of action.