On May 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced its intent to solicit public input on federal regulations that may be subject to repeal or revision as part of the Trump administration’s deregulatory agenda. According to a notice published in the Federal Register on May 20, DOI is formally requesting feedback on “deconstructing the regulatory burden that has been self-imposed on our Nation’s interests.”
The DOI notice follows Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum’s department-wide deregulatory order in February (Secretary’s Order No. 3418). In that document, Burgum signaled an intent to prioritize revisions to regulations adopted during the Biden administration.
The new DOI notice recites recent White House directives and focuses on Executive Order 14192, which directs agencies – beginning for Fiscal Year 2026 – to identify “on an aggregated basis” new regulations that increase costs, and offsetting existing regulations that can be repealed, along with the costs and savings of each. DOI encourages the public to identify environmental and energy-related regulations that are “outdated,” “overly complex,” “burdensome,” or not consistent “with law or Administration policy.” The term “regulation” includes guidance, policies, procedures, and other administrative actions. Comments are due by June 18, and can be submitted at www.regulations.gov, by U.S. mail, or to a newly established email account that will remain active after the comment period closes.
The DOI notice directs commenters to address a series of questions about existing rules, including:
- Are there regulations that don’t make sense or have become unnecessary?
- Are there outdated rules that could be updated?
- Are there necessary regulations that don’t work well but could be improved, and/or implemented at lower cost?
- Are there complex regulations that could be simplified?
- Are there obstructive regulations that unnecessarily burden energy projects?
- Is DOI currently collecting information from the public that it does not need?
This initiative follows multiple recent executive orders and directives from the White House declaring a “national energy emergency” and directing the agencies of the federal government to expedite domestic energy and mineral development, repeal or revise potentially unnecessary and burdensome regulations and guidance, and eliminate regulatory barriers. The Office of Management and Budget published its own notice in April seeking suggestions for government-wide regulatory reform. Efforts of this kind may be expected across the federal government or have already begun.
Stakeholders across the energy, infrastructure, and environmental sectors should carefully evaluate the potential impact of this deregulatory effort on existing and planned projects. Companies with an interest in public lands, offshore leasing, or environmental permitting should consider submitting comments and monitoring forthcoming agency rulemakings.