Trump Blocks Enforcement of State-Level Climate Regulations
Executive order is part of a strategy to increase domestic energy production.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at stopping the enforcement of state laws that were passed to address climate change. The order identified California’s cap-and-trade law as well as lawsuits against oil companies for damages from climate change. The order is part of the Trump administration’s policy to increase domestic production of fossil fuels. The move is sure to face challenges from state attorney generals.
Targeting Climate Change Policies
“Many States have enacted, or are in the process of enacting, burdensome and ideologically motivated “climate change” or energy policies that threaten American energy dominance and our economic and national security,” Trump said in the order.
The order directly attacked California’s cap-and-trade system by stating that it “punishes carbon use by adopting impossible caps on the amount of carbon businesses may use, all but forcing businesses to pay large sums to ‘trade’ carbon credits to meet California’s radical requirements.”
Trump also cited state delays in reviewing permit applications to produce energy as well as states that have sued energy companies “for supposed ‘climate change’ harm under nuisance or other tort regimes that could result in crippling damages.”
The order stated that these state laws and policies “weaken our national security and devastate Americans by driving up energy costs for families coast-to-coast” and “undermine Federalism by projecting the regulatory preferences of a few States into all States.” Additionally, the order states that these state laws and policies “try to dictate interstate and international disputes over air, water, and natural resources; unduly discriminate against out-of-State businesses; contravene the equality of States; and retroactively impose arbitrary and excessive fines without legitimate justification.”
“These State laws and policies are fundamentally irreconcilable with my Administration’s objective to unleash American energy,” Trump stated. “They should not stand.”
Stopping Enforcement
The order directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify and stop enforcement of state or local laws and policies burdening domestic energy production that “are or may be unconstitutional, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable.” In this process, the attorney general is required to “prioritize the identification of any such State laws purporting to address ‘climate change’ or involving ‘environmental, social, and governance’ initiatives, ‘environmental justice,’ carbon or ‘greenhouse gas’ emissions, and funds to collect carbon penalties or carbon taxes.” It also requires the attorney general to submit a report on these actions within 60 days.