Project 2025 is a controversial plan that aims to help the next Republican administration eliminate various energy and environment offices and rules, making it harder for the government to fight climate change and pollution. The plan includes putting political appointees in charge of science at major federal agencies to ease restrictions on polluting industries.
Among its proposals, Project 2025 suggests dismantling the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the National Weather Service and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. The plan calls for the downsizing of NOAA’s climate research functions and reorienting the National Weather Service towards commercial operations.
The Energy Department would also see significant changes under Project 2025. The plan proposes eliminating offices that focus on renewable energy, climate technology, and energy technology research. Additionally, it calls for a comprehensive review and consolidation of federal science agencies to streamline their operations.
Project 2025 seeks to roll back energy efficiency standards for household appliances, a goal aligned with congressional Republicans’ efforts to counteract Biden administration restrictions. Former President Trump has criticized similar regulations in the past, targeting efficient lightbulbs, showerheads, and other items.
Donald TrumpWhile Trump has distanced himself from the project, many sections were crafted by officials from his first administration, and the plan aligns with several of his policy preferences.
The plan also includes reinstating a Trump-era policy that relocated the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado, a move that critics argue ousted long-time staffers based in Washington, D.C. Kathleen Sgamma, who co-authored the Interior Department section, stated that the proposals aim to increase oil and gas development on federal lands, reversing Biden administration policies that restricted fossil fuel development.
The blueprint’s proposals for the Interior Department would likely need congressional approval, such as repealing the Antiquities Act of 1906. However, some actions could be executed through the executive branch, including opening more Arctic lands for drilling and reducing protections for endangered species to facilitate infrastructure and energy projects.
At the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the plan proposes consolidating science and policy under political oversight. This would involve appointing political appointees to oversee and modify the agency’s research activities and moving senior officials out of the EPA’s Office of Water. The plan also suggests eliminating the agency’s law enforcement office, transferring its responsibilities to the general counsel’s office, and updating the 2009 finding on greenhouse gas emissions.
Environmental advocates have expressed significant concerns about Project 2025. Climate activist Jamie Henn highlighted the specificity of the plan as particularly alarming, noting that while Trump’s proposals were broad, this plan delves into detailed policy changes.
Proponents of the project argue that its detailed policy plan is designed to ensure that a conservative administration can act swiftly and efficiently upon taking office. Mandy Gunasekara, the primary drafter of the EPA section, emphasized the importance of setting a clear policy vision and identifying steps for effective implementation.