Invoking the Defense Production Act won’t boost the supply of critical minerals.
—
Onhisfirstdayinoffice,PresidentDonaldTrumpsignedanexecutiveordertounleashAmericanenergybyreducingregulationsandshrinkingthesizeofgovernment.“Burdensomeandideologicallymotivatedregulationshaveimpededthedevelopmentof[energyandnaturalresources],limitedthegenerationofreliableandaffordableelectricity,reducedjobcreation,andinflictedhighenergycostsuponourcitizens,”theorderread.
Trump’scampaigntodownsizegovernmentinvolvementinenergyandnaturalresourcesappearstobeover.OnThursday,thepresidentsignedanexecutiveordertoexpandthefederalgovernment’sauthorityindomesticcriticalmineralproduction.
Specifically,theorderinvokestheDefenseProductionAct(DPA)todirectthesecretaryofdefense“tocreate,maintain,protect,expand,orrestoredomesticindustrialbasecapabilitiesessentialtothenationaldefense”bybuyingcriticalminerals,makingsubsidypaymentsfordomesticallyproducedmaterialsand“purchasingequi
