Trump Executive Orders 2025: Energy Stock Winners and Losers

This week President Donald Trump inked a flurry of executive orders aimed at bolstering the United States’ oil and gas industry. The moves were aimed at reversing the nation’s energy policy from what was envisioned by former President Joe Biden and will create winners and losers among companies operating in the energy landscape.

In one of the broadest brush strokes, Trump ordered a U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. The order aims to cut off any financial commitments from the U.S. related to the international treaty on climate change.

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Drilling down to specific energy-related executive orders that will affect publicly traded companies in the sector, Trump rescinded a goal for half of U.S. auto sales to be electric vehicles by 2030, and he ordered an end to EV subsidies.

He reversed a Biden-era moratorium on approvals for new liquefied natural gas export projects. Several companies had preliminary deals to export LNG to countries that are not part of free trade agreements with the U.S. and had yet to build their plants.

Trump also issued his own moratorium — this one on offshore wind development. He halted work on a wind energy project in Idaho.

He declared a national energy emergency, aiming to expedite energy permitting and infrastructure after a study period. He also ordered the halt of certain funds related to the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden’s signature climate law aimed at boosting America’s contribution to the energy transition.

Trump also ordered support for pipeline and export infrastructure related to an Alaska liquefied natural gas project and a reinstatement of federal approval for the Ambler Road access project, which will facilitate an Alaskan mining district rich in copper. Additionally, Trump ordered the support of domestic production and processing of rare earth minerals.

Here’s what you should know about the particular industries and companies that could be affected by Trump’s policies:

— Market forces at work.

— Momentum of the energy transition.

— Winners from Trump’s executive orders.

— Losers from Trump’s executive orders.

Market Forces at Work

Before we get into specific companies that will benefit or be hurt by Trump’s pen, it should be noted that market forces will dictate their effects to a certain extent.

For one thing, investors have for years been urging oil and gas companies to use restraint in their exploration for and production of more hydrocarbons and instead prioritize returning money to investors through share buybacks and dividends. That serves as a check against oil and gas companies’ penchant for ramping up production too much during boom times and then suffering the consequences when oil and gas prices pull back.

“How the oil and gas sector balances a more permissive policy environment with its commitments to capital returns, which have been a dominant thread in the shale patch for the past several years, will bear significantly on the pathway to energy dominance,” according to the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center.

Turning to LNG exports, Europe and Asia are the primary markets for U.S. exports of the super-chilled fuel, and there’s only so much that can go around until new facilities come online. Exports were already expected to increase even before Trump took office because of the companies that had already been granted construction and export permits.

Plants to chill natural gas into liquid form and load it onto specialized ships are expensive, require significant financing and take a long time to build.

“The LNG industry and its investors are enthused by the directive to resume the permitting process for new LNG facilities, but because of the time lag in permitting and construction, markets won’t feel the impact for several years,” the Atlantic Council said.

Additionally, while Trump has broad authority over federal land, most oil and gas drilling happens on private or state lands that his executive orders don’t affect.

Momentum of the Energy Transition

While environmentalists have decried Trump’s gifts to the domestic oil and gas industry, it’s also true that the energy transition away from oil and gas has gained momentum from jobs created in Republican-led states, from corporate sustainability commitments and from consumer demand for green products.

For one thing, because Europe is a leader in policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it seems likely that LNG companies may have to adopt certain environmental standards to sell to the European market.

Additionally, Trump’s nominee for energy secretary is a supporter of nuclear energy and geothermal technology, while also being a staunch oil and gas champion.

“The march toward renewable clean energy is both inevitable and the right thing to do,” says J.D. Dillon, chief marketing and customer experience officer with solar power conversion and storage company Tigo Energy Inc. (ticker: TYGO). “It will happen regardless of who is in the White House or Congress. It may slow down or speed up, but it will continue.”

Winners From Trump’s Executive Orders

Domestic Oil and Gas Stocks

It appears that the biggest winners under Trump’s executive orders are domestic oil and gas exploration and production companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), Chevron Corp. (CVX) and EOG Resources Inc. (EOG).

“Reduced regulations on drilling, permitting and infrastructure projects could give oil, gas and LNG companies a boost, especially those reliant on export markets or expanding domestic production,” says Matt Loszak, CEO of nuclear microreactor startup Aalo Atomics.

Liquefied Natural Gas Stocks

Within the energy sector, companies involved with LNG terminals such as Cheniere Energy Inc. (LNG), Sempra (SRE) and Energy Transfer LP (ET) are also set to benefit as Trump champions exports of the fuel and as Europe seeks to wean itself from Russian hydrocarbons after the invasion of Ukraine. Chevron, Exxon, Shell PLC (SHEL) and TotalEnergies SE (TTE) are also major LNG players.

Mining Stocks

Mining companies operating in the U.S. also stand to gain, but this might be a mixed bag as companies focused on lithium might take a back seat given the metal’s use in electric vehicles.

Rare Earth and Nuclear Energy Stocks

Trump’s executive order declaring a national energy emergency “will open the door for the safe and responsible mining and processing of critical minerals, including the uranium, rare earths and vanadium materials we produce at Energy Fuels Inc. (UUUU),” the mining company stated on LinkedIn.

Other nuclear energy companies include Cameco Corp. (CCJ), Centrus Energy Corp. (LEU) and NuScale Power Corp. (SMR).

“Nuclear could benefit from policies favoring domestic energy production and infrastructure development,” Loszak says. “If regulatory processes are streamlined for all energy sectors, nuclear projects might find it easier to secure permits and reduce development timelines. Additionally, Trump’s administration has historically voiced support for nuclear as a component of U.S. energy independence.”

Losers From Trump’s Executive Orders

Renewable Energy Stocks

On the flip side of the coin, Trump’s executive orders de-prioritize solar and wind as energy sources, although the renewables industry will hardly die given increased demand for clean energy from data centers and other sources.

“Trump’s policy shifts generally favor traditional fossil fuel industries like oil, gas and coal, while renewable energy sectors like wind and solar are likely to face challenges,” Loszak says. “Regulatory rollbacks could streamline operations for fossil fuel producers but may slow down clean energy growth.”

Offshore Wind Farm Developers

Specifically, companies involved in developing offshore wind farms in U.S. waters may find fewer growth opportunities because of Trump’s moratorium. Still, companies like Equinor ASA (EQNR) and Orsted (OTC: DNNGY) have plenty of other development opportunities in Asia and Europe, as both jurisdictions are well ahead of the U.S. in offshore wind development.

“America’s offshore wind industry is just getting started, but already it’s attracting investments, creating jobs and bringing new career opportunities and new sources of clean energy to America,” says Bob Keefe, executive director of business group E2. “Why would we want to cede the $40 billion offshore wind industry to foreign countries while limiting America to fossil fuels to meet our growing electricity needs?”

Don’t Write Off Renewables Just Yet

Still, the renewable energy sector shouldn’t be written off completely under the Trump administration.

“The growth of the solar industry in recent years reflects shared values of job support, local investment and sustainable energy,” Dillon says. “All of which are essential to a thriving, clean energy future, and all of which are occurring regardless of political shifts.”

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Trump Executive Orders 2025: Energy Stock Winners and Losers originally appeared on usnews.com

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