Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as Amended, on Domestic Petroleum Production, Refining, and Logistics Capacity

Key Points

• Trump invokes Section 303 of the Defense Production Act to declare that domestic oil production, refining, and pipeline infrastructure are essential to national defense. This unlocks federal tools like direct purchases, purchase commitments, and financial support to help energy companies expand capacity faster.
• The determination waives key procedural requirements in the Defense Production Act, letting the government skip several steps that would normally slow down federal investment in these projects. This is meant to speed up drilling, refinery construction, and pipeline development.
• The action builds on the national energy emergency declared in January 2025, which argued that the country's energy supply was too fragile and left the U.S. vulnerable to foreign threats. That earlier order set the legal foundation for today's determination.
• The Secretary of Energy is now authorized to make purchases, commitments, and use financial instruments to expand petroleum capacity. The government says private industry alone cannot solve this problem due to financing constraints, permitting delays, and supply chain issues.