New 'Energy Dominance' Council to Fast-Track Permits and Cut Regulations Across Federal Agencies

The National Energy Dominance Council Act of 2025 is setting up a new, high-powered task force right inside the White House called the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC). This isn't just another advisory board; this Council, led by the Secretaries of Interior and Energy, pulls in leaders from nearly every major federal department—from Defense and State to the EPA and Treasury.

The Mission: Maximize Production, Slash Red Tape

What’s the Council’s job? Simple: make the U.S. the undisputed global leader in energy production. This means advising the President on how to use their executive power to ramp up production, and more importantly, figuring out how to streamline everything related to energy. That includes permitting, regulation, transport, and exporting all types of energy, including critical minerals (SEC. 2).

If you’re a contractor waiting months for a permit to lay a new transmission line, or a refinery trying to get an export license, this bill is designed to cut down that waiting time. The Council is explicitly tasked with developing a National Energy Dominance Strategy focused on cutting “unnecessary red tape” and getting rid of “old, useless regulations.” While that sounds great for business efficiency, the devil is in the details: when you prioritize speed and deregulation, the public review process and environmental oversight often take a backseat. This could mean less time for public comment on major projects like pipelines or power plants.

Accelerating Infrastructure and Power Plants

The NEDC isn't just about long-term strategy; it’s about immediate action. The bill mandates that the Council advise the President on specific actions agencies can take right now to boost energy output. This includes getting Small Modular Nuclear Reactors running faster, helping reopen power plants that were shut down, and speeding up approvals for energy infrastructure—specifically calling out natural gas pipelines heading to places like New England, California, and Alaska (SEC. 2).

Think about the price you pay at the pump or on your monthly electric bill. The theory here is that by producing more energy and building infrastructure faster, costs will drop. However, the mandate to rapidly speed up approvals for specific projects could override local concerns or existing environmental safeguards, potentially trading short-term energy gains for long-term localized environmental headaches.

Energy Policy Gets a Seat at the National Security Table

In a significant move, the bill also changes who attends National Security Council (NSC) meetings. It adds the Secretary of the Interior—the person who manages vast federal lands and resources—as a regular attendee, right alongside the Secretary of Energy (SEC. 3). Previously, the NSC focused primarily on defense, foreign policy, and intelligence. Adding the Interior Secretary elevates resource management and energy dominance to a core national security concern. This means that decisions about where to drill, mine, or build infrastructure might now be weighed heavily through a national security lens, potentially shifting the balance away from purely economic or environmental considerations.