Comment on Trump climate and energy order

“The President hopes to promote US domestic supplies of coal, oil and gas; if reports are correct, some of his proposals may make life easier for oil and gas prospectors, although how much of a helping hand they need is moot, given that US shale production is booming and is actually depressing global prices already. Breathing life into the ailing corpse of the US coal industry will be a bigger ask – it was already at death’s door and, with coal declining globally, it’s difficult to see many jobs returning to the sector.

“Clean power likewise is responding to market demands and booming, creating US jobs and income, and it’s difficult to see how or even why a pro-business President would want to curb that. Overall though, reforming the Clean Power Plan will take months or even years of legislative challenges; just like reforming healthcare, President Trump won’t find that it’s quick or easy to do.”