California sues Trump over order to open coastal oil pipeline

from Alejandro LazoCalMatters

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California sued the Trump administration on Monday to block what it said was an unprecedented power grab: using emergency powers to force the restart of an offshore oil operation shut down more than a decade ago.

The court casefiled in federal court in San Francisco, claims order of March 13 by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright oversteps his authority under the Defense Production Act, a Cold War-era law.

“No matter how much President Trump can claim that there is a so-called national energy emergency — that’s simply not true,” Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters. “The US already produces significantly more oil and gas than we use – this is a completely fabricated claim designed to please the oil industry.”

The legal battle pits the Trump administration against Sable Offshore Corp. against California officials and environmental groups — and comes as fuel prices soar following the conflict in Iran. Sable, which bought the system from ExxonMobil in 2024, told investors that production could increase from about 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day to more than 50,000 if restarted, sending oil to refineries in Los Angeles, Bakersfield and the Bay Area.

California has argued that the emergency powers law is intended to prioritize contracts during emergencies — not to overturn state law or force the restart of the pipeline. The state claims the administration failed to meet the law’s basic requirements, including showing an actual energy shortage.

of Wright row marks the most aggressive federal intervention yet in a long-running dispute. A March 3 legal opinion by the U.S. Department of Justice had laid the groundwork by concluding that the emergency order could preempt state law — and even overturn a 2020 federal consent decree requiring approval from the California state fire marshal before the pipeline could restart.

Environmental groups and experts say forcing the pipeline back into production won’t lower gasoline prices, but will put coastal wildlife at risk and set a troubling precedent for federal power over state laws. The Trump administration has long sought to expand offshore oil leasing along the West Coast, sparking fierce opposition in California.

Sable is facing mounting legal pressure on many fronts. In December, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration ruled that the infrastructure qualifies as an interstate pipeline and issued an emergency permit approving a restart plan, a move contested by environmental groups and the state of California. This case is pending before the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

In February, a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge ordered the pipeline to remain shut downruling that earlier federal intervention was not enough to overturn an injunction requiring Sable to obtain state approvals before restarting.

Representatives for Sable, the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.