President Donald Trump on Monday declared an energy emergency, which his team says will unlock additional powers to jump-start production, The Hill reports.
The order was invoked under the National Emergencies Act and directs the heads of certain federal agencies to identify any emergency authorities they may have to facilitate the production or processing of energy, among other directives.
“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency,” Trump said during his inaugural speech. “We will drill, baby, drill.”
A Trump official says the emergency declaration is a response to high fuel prices. The average price of gasoline in the U.S. is currently $3.13 per gallon.
