Trump’s first year back in office sees major oil and gas permit surge amid ‘drill, baby, drill’ push

New Interior Department data shows a roughly 55 % increase in oil and gas drilling permits approved on public lands since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House last January, a rise that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum says is contributing to lower domestic energy costs and U.S. energy competitiveness abroad.

“President Trump promised to ‘drill, baby, drill,’ and his policy of increasing an abundant supply of energy, creating energy dominance for America, is bringing home the goals of dropping inflation and bringing prosperity to Americans and bringing peace abroad,” Burgum said Wednesday on “Mornings with Maria.”

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management approved 5,742 permits to drill on public lands over roughly a year-long period, according to recent agency data — a substantial rise compared with the same span under the previous administration.

Burgum said the administration’s energy dominance agenda has had far-reaching effects, from lowering everyday costs for American families, including food, clothing and gas, to strengthening U.S. leverage on the world stage.

“President Trump [is] breaking the back of inflation,” Burgum said. 

“But being energy-abundant has allowed us to take actions, whether it’s eliminating Iran’s nuclear capability or arresting Maduro, all of those things are possible because of President Trump’s energy abundance, energy dominance agenda.”

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President Trump vowed during his 2024 campaign to unleash American energy production and repeatedly criticized the Biden administration’s energy policies as restrictive and inflationary.

Last month, a coalition of conservative groups representing the energy industry hailed a list of regulatory and fiscal “wins” under Trump Energy Secretary Chris Wright, including slashing green subsidies, reigniting nuclear development and more.

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Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.