WASHINGTON—President Trump is considering issuing an executive order mandating an economic analysis of fracking, according to senior administration officials, who say the initiative is aimed at highlighting his support for the energy industry in election battleground states such as Pennsylvania.
The proposed order would ask government agencies to perform an analysis of fracking’s impact on the economy and trade and the consequences if the oil-and-gas extraction technique was banned, the officials said. It also would order those agencies to evaluate what more they can do to expand its use, possibly through land management or support of developing technology, they said.
These people said details of the order were still under discussion, and a final decision on whether to even issue it hasn’t been made.
White House spokesman Judd Deere declined comment on any potential executive action but said Mr. Trump “has prioritized all forms of domestic energy production which has led to America becoming energy independent.”
If an order is issued, it would be unlikely to have any short-term impact on an energy industry struggling with an oil glut tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More: Trump Weighs Executive Order to Show Support for Fracking