With President Donald Trump and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright at the helm, the U.S. Department of Energy reports a period marked by increased energy production and lower prices for consumers.
According to the Department, gas prices have dropped to a four-year low, averaging around $2.90 per gallon. This decrease is expected to save Americans over $500 million during the holiday season. The United States now leads globally in oil and natural gas production, reaching record levels—24.2 million barrels of oil per day and 108 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.
On his first day back in office, President Trump instructed the Energy Department to end the previous administration’s ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. Since January, approvals for new LNG export capacity have surpassed current volumes exported by the world’s second-largest LNG exporter.
The Department notes declines in prices for propane, kerosene, firewood, and fuel oil since President Trump assumed office. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is being refilled and repaired after what officials describe as damage from prior use under the previous administration.
In May 2025, a deregulatory initiative was launched with proposals to eliminate 47 regulations believed to increase consumer costs. The agency estimates this could result in $11 billion in savings nationwide. In March 2025, four conservation standards were withdrawn—including those related to electric motors and ceiling fans—in an effort to reduce regulatory burdens and restore consumer choice.
Officials say that policies from earlier administrations threatened grid reliability by planning closures of coal, natural gas, and hydroelectric plants. A recent Department report found that before President Trump’s election, projections indicated a significant shortfall in electricity generation capacity with a risk of more frequent blackouts over five years.
To address these concerns, 16 emergency orders have been issued aimed at maximizing grid reliability and keeping power available during extreme weather or high demand periods. The Department also reversed actions that would have affected hydroelectric generation in the Columbia River Basin—a move it says protected enough power for approximately 2.5 million homes.
Efforts have extended beyond the mainland; $365 million has been reallocated toward repairing Puerto Rico’s electrical grid following ongoing crises there.
More than $13 billion earmarked for initiatives associated with climate-related programs from previous administrations was canceled in September 2025; those funds were returned to the U.S. Treasury.
Coal remains central under current policy direction: wages are reportedly up for coal workers and plans to shut down coal plants are being reversed—resulting in more than 15 gigawatts of coal-powered generation preserved through year-end 2025. Five new initiatives aim to expand coal industry modernization efforts; additionally, the National Coal Council has been reinstated as an advisory body on future technologies and markets.
Nuclear energy is also receiving renewed focus: actions taken include awarding $800 million for small modular reactor projects (TVA/Holtec), closing a $1 billion loan supporting restart of a Pennsylvania nuclear plant capable of delivering 850 megawatts of electricity, selecting companies for advanced nuclear fuel pilot projects, supporting domestic uranium supply chains with conditional commitments made in August 2025, launching pilot programs focused on next-generation reactors as well as infrastructure development involving AI data centers on federal lands.
The reshoring of critical mineral supply chains has become another priority area—with recent funding announcements totaling nearly half a billion dollars intended for domestic rare earth element recovery projects and next-generation mining technology test sites—and restructuring loans like that with Lithium Americas Corporation which includes government equity ownership provisions.
Modernization efforts within national security continue: over $3 billion was allocated this year via legislative action towards accelerating upgrades at facilities managed by DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Milestones include completion ahead-of-schedule manufacturing on key nuclear weapon systems such as B61-13 gravity bombs as well as finishing modernization work on W88 warheads used aboard Ohio-class submarines; NNSA also announced deployment plans for two supercomputers at Los Alamos National Laboratory intended to advance both security applications and scientific research capabilities.
Technological innovation remains part of DOE’s mission—with President Trump’s Executive Order directing launch of “Genesis Mission,” described as combining private-sector artificial intelligence resources with DOE expertise across scientific domains—and continued progress towards developing commercial nuclear fusion power highlighted by release of a national Fusion Science & Technology Roadmap last October.
