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Energy and climate are expected to be divisive issues in 2025 as President-elect Trump, backed by Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, looks to expand U.S. energy development while Democrats in Congress concerned about the effect on global warming seek to prevent it.
Here are five figures likely to make headlines on energy and environmental issues in 2025.
Doug Burgum, Energy Czar and candidate for Secretary of the Interior
As chairman of a new National Energy Council, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) is poised to broadly coordinate the incoming administration’s energy agenda. If confirmed to lead the Interior department, he would also likely oversee an increase in oil and gas drilling on federal lands, marking a stark contrast to the department’s outgoing secretary, Deb Haaland, who has been a key ally in the ‘Biden administration of environmentalists.
North Dakota is the No. 3 state in the nation in crude oil production. He was a high-profile surrogate for Trump during the 2024 campaign and was reportedly a candidate for the vice presidency. One of the president-elect’s least controversial nominees, he is unlikely to see obstacles to his confirmation.
Chris Wright, nominee for Secretary of Energy
Chris Wright, the chief executive of fracking giant Liberty Energy, is similarly likely to pursue a policy that echoes Trump’s support for the fossil fuel industry if confirmed to lead the Department of energy
President Biden’s Department of Energy, under Secretary Jennifer Granholm, has strongly promoted the development of renewable energy and the expansion of electric vehicles, two frequent targets of Trump. The department is likely to abandon those efforts under Wright.
However, many of the renewable energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden’s signature legislative package, have foundunlikely defendersamong the House GOP caucus, suggesting Wright could face some resistance if the administration tries to disconnect them as expected.
It also seems unlikely that Wright will face significant opposition to his confirmation in the incoming Republican-majority Senate.
Lee Zeldin, nominee for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Lee Zeldin distinguished himself during Trump’s first term as one of the president’s staunchest defenders in Congress, serving on his defense during his first impeachment trial, and is likely to take a similar approach to supporting the agenda of Trump as part of his incoming administration.
That would likely include rolling back many of his predecessor Michael Regan’s policies, as Trump’s first EPA did with Obama-era rules.
Zeldin, who represented New York’s 1st congressional district in the House before stepping down to run for governor in 2022, did not have a broad environmental profile before Trump nominated him to lead the EPA, but he has also generated little dispute before confirmation.
Senator-elect John Curtis
Sen.-elect John Curtis (R-Utah), who easily won the Senate race in deep-red Utah to succeed Sen. Mitt Romney (R) after beating a Trump-backed candidate in the primary, appears poised to play a key role in any possible bipartisan work on climate issues in the 119th Congress.
In the House, where he has represented Utah’s 3rd District since 2017, Curtis was the founder of the Conservative Climate Caucus, a group of Republican lawmakers who recognize the threat of climate change but favor free-market solutions.
He also co-sponsored a bipartisan bill in the lower house with Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) calling for a federal study of the effects of an import tax based on carbon intensity. That bill was similar to a proposal by one of Curtis’ new colleagues, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), which suggested that Curtis could be a prominent climate player in the next Congress, even though Republican majorities will likely be more focused on promotion. energy development than efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
Representative Jared Huffman
As Democrats figure out their next steps after the 2024 election losses, many of the party’s younger leaders have called for leadership changes in Congress and several have issued challenges to top committee leaders.
One of the first Democrats to announce that challenge was Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), who filed to lead the House Natural Resources Committee against incumbent ranking member Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.). Grijalva, who retires in 2027, initially said she would seek another term, but withdrew shortly after and endorsed Rep. Melanie Stansbury (DN.M.). Stansbury withdrew amid overwhelming support for Huffman, who was officially voted into the ranking this week.
In the role, Huffman will test the effectiveness of leadership changes, particularly on issues like environmental justice and renewable energy, where Trump is likely to try to undo much of the party’s work of the past four years.
