Dozens of recent federal executive actions threaten energy justice. Many are an unlawful attempt to undermine Congressional action to invest in clean energy and justice and insert uncertainty into the future of climate action. We’ve applied a framework of energy justice to demonstrate the impact of just three of these Executive Orders (EOs).
In January, President Trump issued Executive Orders 14151, 14173, and 14154, which are very aggressive executive attempts to shift policy and funding away from clean energy and environmental justice. These actions disproportionately harm communities of color, Indigenous groups, and low-income populations across the country.
- Terminates the Justice40 Initiative (established under Biden’s 2021 EO 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad). This ends the requirement that 40% of federal climate and environmental benefits flow to disadvantaged communities.
- Rescinds Biden’s 2023 EO 14096 (Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All). This ends all mandates for agencies to address the impact of pollution in permitting and enforcement.
- Rescinds Clinton’s 1994 EO 12898 (Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations), which required agencies to involve EJ communities in decision-making
- Rescinds Biden’s 2021 EO 14008
- Rescinds a dozen of President Biden’s Executive Orders, many of which relate to environmental justice, clean energy infrastructure, and workforce development.
- Directs numerous federal agencies to review and revise permitting processes to align with the Administration’s goals to “unleash” American energy, focused on fossil fuel development.
| Indicator | Action | Impact |
| Process: Participation of Marginalized Communities | Rescinding Clinton’s 1994 EO 12898 and Biden’s 2023 EO 14096, which required agencies to involve EJ communities in decision-making | Removes federal requirement that mandates input from affected communities in decision-making, slowing progress in participatory policymaking. |
| Restoration: Remedying Past and Present Harms | Terminated programs addressing pollution burdens (including, landmark Justice40 initiative that directs 40% of the overall benefits of climate, clean energy, and other federal investments to disadvantaged communities and EPA EJ grants) and removed screening tools identifying overburdened communities | No remaining federal mechanism that directs resources or policy remedies to communities harmed by fossil fuel pollution, industrial sites, or climate risks. |
| Decision-Making: Centering Marginalized Voices | Dissolved energy & environmental justice offices and revoke equity directives. There’s no longer any obligation to consult marginalized groups | Decisions on permits, funding, and enforcement etc. will prioritize the highest bidders over community-led demands |
| Benefits: Economic, Social, and Health Gains | Paused, cancelled, or otherwise attempted to make unavailable IRA/IIJA (BIL) funding that supported solar access, energy efficiency, and pollution reduction in low-income areas. | Marginalized communities lose jobs, cleaner environment, and climate resilience investments, increasing existing disparities |
| Access: Affordable and Reliable Energy | The orders focus on unleashing fossil fuels, even though the U.S. is the largest oil and gas producing country on the planet. There are no provisions for renewable access or reducing energy burdens in underserved areas | The cuts to solar and wind programs disproportionately harm rural and low-income households that rely on renewables. It will also lead to increased pollution burdens as regulations relax to prioritize fossil fuels |
