Elon Musk can’t wait to take a hatchet to federal regulations. And Donald Trump today promised to give him a platform to do so if he wins the presidency in November. Trump announced that the conservative tech, automotive and space entrepreneur has agreed to lead a “government efficiency commission” to scour the entire federal government and suggest dramatic changes, my colleague Timothy Cama and I report in POLITICO's E&E News. It was part of a sweeping economic speech from the former president in New York, where he detailed plans to slash regulations, vowed to end Democrats’ “anti-energy crusade” and pledged to rescind unspent cash from President Joe Biden’s signature climate law. Trump promised to “blast through every bureaucratic hurdle” to quickly approve new oil drilling, pipelines, refineries and power plants in a bid to lower energy costs (a tactic unlikely to succeed). The former president’s promises also included a pledge to “terminate the green New Deal, which I call the Green New Scam.” At Musk’s suggestion, Trump said, “I will create a government efficiency commission tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government and making recommendations for drastic reforms.” Musk is thrilled about the idea. “I can’t wait. There is a lot of waste and needless regulation in government that needs to go,” Musk posted this week on his social media platform X, following reports that Trump was eyeing him for such a role. Trump also vowed to rescind all unspent funds under the climate law known as the Inflation Reduction Act, even as some Republican lawmakers want to save the energy tax credits that are benefiting their districts. Robert Lighthizer, who served as U.S. trade representative under Trump, called the massive climate and health care law an “absolute monstrosity” in a call with reporters ahead of Trump’s speech. There may be parts of the sweeping law that Republicans would want to consider keeping, Lighthizer told reporters, but the general position of the GOP “is going to be repeal,” he said. Congress has appropriated more than $1 trillion in energy, climate, technology and infrastructure investments during the Biden administration — but only 17 percent had been spent as of April, according to a POLITICO investigation. That leaves Trump multiple potential avenues to slow roll or rescind major aspects of Biden’s climate agenda.
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