Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting to Unleash American Energy Act of 2025

Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting to Unleash American Energy Act of 2025 would require a set of energy- and mining-related federal agencies to sunset most of their regulations. Existing regulations must be amended to expire within one year of enactment, and new regulations must expire within five years unless extended. Extensions can occur, but only under a public-process that weighs costs and benefits (with an exception for amendments deemed net-deregulatory). If a regulation’s expiration is not extended, it immediately ceases to have legal effect and would be removed from the Code of Federal Regulations. The bill targets specific agencies (DOE; certain Interior Department offices; FERC) and only the regulations those agencies issue under listed statutes, creating a “zero-based” budgeting approach for regulation in those energy-related areas. The aim is to force agencies to rejustify or roll back rules, potentially accelerating energy development while imposing a tighter lifecycle for regulatory actions.