President Trump on Monday invoked wartime authority under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to try to push for more oil, gas and coal. The DPA gives the president the authority to increase production of certain items to advance national security.
President Trump this week issued five memos applying it to oil, coal, natural gas infrastructure and exports, electric grid equipment and “large-scale energy and energy-related infrastructure.”
In his oil memo, which applies not only to oil production but also to refining and pipelines, Trump cited oil’s importance for “the Nation’s Armed Forces, industrial base, and crucial infrastructure.”
“Without immediate Federal action, United States defense capabilities will remain vulnerable to disruption,” Trump wrote.
His coal order specifically cited AI, saying “without sufficient coal-fired baseload power, the United States will lack the stable electricity required to support defense installations, industrial expansion, and the high-energy demands of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence.”