{"id":1980,"date":"2026-01-08T10:46:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T15:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=1980"},"modified":"2026-01-11T09:28:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T14:28:58","slug":"big-oil-and-energy-emergency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/08\/big-oil-and-energy-emergency\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Oil and Energy Emergency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Press Release<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal Tong Chal\u00adlenges Trump Fake Ener\u00adgy Emer\u00adgency<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preceding Event<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On Jan. 20, 2025, the first day of his sec\u00adond term, Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump declared a \u201cnation\u00adal ener\u00adgy emer\u00adgency\u201d with Exec\u00adu\u00adtive Order 14156<\/a>. With the emer\u00adgency dec\u00adla\u00adra\u00adtion as jus\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion, per\u00admits and oth\u00ader nec\u00ades\u00adsary approvals were being expe\u00addit\u00aded and grant\u00aded on an emer\u00adgency basis.
Accord\u00ading to the press release, \u201cAt the direc\u00adtion of the pres\u00adi\u00addent, fed\u00ader\u00adal agen\u00adcies are bypass\u00ading or short\u00aden\u00ading crit\u00adi\u00adcal reviews under the Clean Water Act, Endan\u00adgered Species Act, and the His\u00adtoric Nation\u00adal Preser\u00adva\u00adtion Act for ener\u00adgy projects. These laws play a crit\u00adi\u00adcal role pro\u00adtect\u00ading the envi\u00adron\u00adment and human health and pro\u00adtect\u00ading our her\u00aditage and places sacred to tribes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Overview<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The press release, from May 5, 2025, says \u201cAttor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal William Tong filed suit today along\u00adside four\u00adteen oth\u00ader states to chal\u00adlenge the president\u2019s fake \u2018ener\u00adgy emer\u00adgency,\u2019 declared to line the pock\u00adets of Big Oil by hand\u00ading out free pass\u00ades to pol\u00adlute our envi\u00adron\u00adment.\u201d The law\u00adsuit says that U.S. ener\u00adgy pro\u00adduc\u00adtion is at an all time high, con\u00adtra\u00addict\u00ading the claim of an ener\u00adgy emer\u00adgency. Addi\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly, the law\u00adsuit says that it is in direct con\u00adflict with the wind ener\u00adgy EO as it simul\u00adta\u00adne\u00adous\u00adly halts the pro\u00adduc\u00adtion of ener\u00adgy while declar\u00ading that more ener\u00adgy is need\u00aded. At issue is the invo\u00adca\u00adtion of nation\u00adal emer\u00adgency author\u00adi\u00adties and the alleged under\u00admin\u00ading of states\u2019 rights by rush\u00ading through process\u00ades of approval when they will be affect\u00aded by the projects.
\u201cThe attor\u00adneys gen\u00ader\u00adal ask the court to declare the president\u2019s direc\u00adtive, and the agen\u00adcies\u2019 imple\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion of it, ille\u00adgal and stop them from issu\u00ading emer\u00adgency per\u00admits under the exec\u00adu\u00adtive order,\u201d the press release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecticut Nexus:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the law\u00adsuit, \u201cOn or around Feb\u00adru\u00adary 20, 2025, as media reports began to cir\u00adcu\u00adlate around the Project List and the Army Corps of Engi\u00adneers response to the Exec\u00adu\u00adtive Order, the vast major\u00adi\u00adty of projects on the Project List dis\u00adap\u00adpeared from the Per\u00admit\u00adting Data\u00adbase alto\u00adgeth\u00ader, includ\u00ading projects that had been iden\u00adti\u00adfied as need\u00ading indi\u00advid\u00adual per\u00admits, cre\u00adat\u00ading uncer\u00adtain\u00adty about the Corp\u2019s plans for these pro\u00adposed projects. How\u00adev\u00ader, on Feb\u00adru\u00adary 13, 2025, the Corps emailed offi\u00adcials for the State of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut indi\u00adcat\u00ading the Army Corps of Engi\u00adneers \u2018intent to estab\u00adlish emer\u00adgency per\u00admit\u00adting pro\u00adce\u00addures across the New Eng\u00adland Dis\u00adtrict, pur\u00adsuant to the Nation\u00adal Ener\u00adgy dec\u00adla\u00adra\u00adtion in Exec\u00adu\u00adtive Order 14156\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date of filing:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

May 9, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case #<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

2:25-cv-00869<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case title:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

State of Wash\u00ading\u00adton et al v. Trump et al<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiffs: 15 states<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n