MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY
SUBJECT: Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as Amended, on Development, Manufacturing, and Deployment of Large-Scale Energy and Energy-Related Infrastructure
On January 20, 2025, I issued Executive Order 14156, declaring a National Energy Emergency under the National Emergencies Act. This order identified America’s insufficient energy production, transportation, refining, and generation as an unusual and extraordinary threat to the Nation’s economy, national security, and foreign policy. It highlighted that the current inadequate and unreliable energy supply makes the Nation vulnerable to hostile foreign actors, posing an imminent and growing threat to the United States’ prosperity and national security.
In alignment with that declaration, I recognize that ensuring domestic capabilities for the development, manufacturing, and deployment of large-scale energy and related infrastructure is crucial for United States national defense. However, due to financing risks, regulatory delays, and market barriers, these needs cannot be fully met under current market conditions.
Therefore, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (the “Act”) (50 U.S.C. 4533), I hereby determine, pursuant to section 303(a)(5) of the Act, that:
(1) The development, manufacturing, and deployment of large-scale energy and energy-related infrastructure, which includes engineering, site acquisition and preparation, permitting, early-stage risk mitigation financing instruments, domestic manufacturing capacity, and enabling infrastructure, are industrial resources, materials, and critical technology items essential to the national defense;
(2) Without Presidential action under section 303 of the Act, United States industry cannot reasonably be expected to provide these capabilities for the necessary industrial resources, materials, or critical technology items in a timely manner because of financing risks, regulatory delays, and market barriers; and
(3) Purchases, purchase commitments, financial support for the development of production capabilities, or other actions under section 303 of the Act are the most cost-effective, expedient, and practical alternative methods for meeting this need.
I have declared a national emergency under Executive Order 14156, and I further determine that action to expand the domestic capability to undertake the development, manufacturing, and deployment of large-scale energy and energy-related infrastructure is necessary to prevent an industrial resource or critical technology item shortfall that would severely impair national defense capability. Therefore, pursuant to section 303(a)(7) of the Act, I waive the requirements of section 303(a)(1)-(a)(6) of the Act for the purpose of expanding such capability.
You are authorized and directed to implement this determination, including making necessary purchases, commitments, and financial instruments to enable these projects, and to publish this determination in the Federal Register.
DONALD J. TRUMP
