Democratic State Attorneys General sue Trump to stop his energy emergency
15 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, the president of the United States, on Friday in an attempt to stop his National Energy Emergency. The states said that it was an illegal effort to ignore regulations and to fast-track permits for oil and natural gas development.
The Democratic state attorneys general from California, Washington, and New York said that using emergency powers to bypass the normal permitting process for hundreds of projects would cause irreparable damage to natural and historical resources, and undermine drinking water and wildlife habitat.
The lawsuit filed in Seattle Federal Court seeks a court ruling that the executive order of January 20, declaring a state of emergency, was illegal and that the efforts of the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Inc., to implement that order, violated administrative laws.
The lawsuit also seeks to prevent the Army Corps of Engineers and ACHP from issuing permits for energy projects under emergency procedures.
In a press release, the White House stated that "the President of the United States is the only person who has the authority to decide what constitutes a national crisis. State attorneys and courts do not have this authority." The White House said in a statement that President Trump recognized the importance of unleashing American energy to our national and economic security. Trump, who is a Republican declared a national emergency on his first official day, claiming that the production and development of energy and essential minerals did not meet the needs for the country. Trump instructed the leaders of government agencies that they should use emergency powers in order to accelerate permitting and remove obstructions to energy production.
The U.S. is producing energy at near-record levels. However, the U.S. demand for power is increasing due to AI adoption and development. The price of crude has dropped by around 20% in the last year and almost 50% since its recent peak.
Presidents can use emergency powers to access special authorities. This is commonly used during times of crisis. Trump declared a state of emergency in his first term, to combat the COVID-19 epidemic. Since taking office in January, Trump declared illegal immigration to be a national crisis. This was done to accelerate the construction of a wall and detention facilities on the southern border. A bipartisan vote by the Senate nearly ended his use of a state of national emergency in order to impose tariffs on trade.
(source: Reuters)
