Trump invokes Cold War law in move to boost energy supply

President https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump said Monday he'll use a Cold War-era national security law to try and bolster domestic production of motor fuels and electricity.

Why it matters: His use of the https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/04/presidential-determination-pursuant-to-section-303-of-the-defense-production-act-of-1950-as-amended-on-domestic-petroleum-production-refining-and-logistics-capacity/" target="_blank">Defense Production Act comes amid high gasoline prices during the https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">Iran war, and rising power costs.

• The series of https://www.whitehouse.gov/news/" target="_blank">presidential memos Trump signed are needed for the https://www.axios.com/energy-climate" target="_blank">Energy Department to use funding secured in last year's GOP budget law, a White House official said.

Driving the news: The memos address petroleum production and refining, coal-fired power, natural gas pipelines and processing, and more.

• They invoke the 1950 law that gives presidents substantial powers to try to bolster private industrial production of materials and supply chains deemed vital to U.S. security.
• Trump and President https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/joe-biden" target="_blank">Biden have https://www.cfr.org/articles/what-defense-production-act" target="_blank">previously employed the law.

The big picture: "President Trump promised to fully unleash American energy dominance to protect our economic and national security," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement.

• The memos allow the Energy Department to "to strengthen our grid infrastructure and unleash reliable, affordable, secure energy," she said.

State of play: The documents make a wide-ranging case for invoking the law.

• For instance, the https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/04/presidential-determination-pursuant-to-section-303-of-the-defense-production-act-of-1950-as-amended-on-domestic-petroleum-production-refining-and-logistics-capacity/" target="_blank">memo on https://www.axios.com/energy-climate/oil-companies" target="_blank">oil production, refining and logistics says that without action, U.S. industry can't "reasonably be expected" to act quickly enough "due to constrained financing, long lead times, permitting and infrastructure bottlenecks, and supply chain limitations."
• It floats the possibility of federal "purchases, purchase commitments, financial support for the development of production capabilities" and other steps.

The intrigue: Projects to manufacture natural gas turbines for power generation and electrical transformers — materials now in short supply with long wait times — are eligible for support, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-20/trump-invokes-wartime-powers-to-fund-new-energy-projects" target="_blank">Bloomberg reports.

What we're watching: It's not immediately clear how the memos may spur additional projects or supplies.

Flashback: https://www.axios.com/2020/03/27/trump-coronavirus-defense-production-act" target="_blank">Trump appoints Peter Navarro to enforce Defense Production Act