Attorney General Kwame Raoul and 16 other state attorneys general have filed an amended complaint to broaden their legal challenge against the Trump administration’s “National Energy Emergency” executive order. The executive order, which claims emergency conditions to justify expedited fossil fuel production, is being contested for bypassing environmental protections despite national energy output reaching record levels.
The revised complaint now includes the U.S. Department of the Interior as a defendant. The coalition alleges that the department unlawfully avoided requirements under federal laws such as the National Environmental Protection Act and Endangered Species Act when permitting fossil fuel projects. At the same time, clean energy sources like wind and solar are not given similar treatment under the executive order.
“This is the Trump administration’s latest attempt to invent an emergency in order to further policy preferences,” Raoul said. “This executive order would allow important environmental protections to be bypassed while doing nothing to lower energy prices. I am happy to join my fellow attorneys general in this lawsuit.”
Previously, Raoul and his counterparts sued over actions taken by both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation related to this executive order. The attorneys general argue that President Trump invoked authority under the National Emergencies Act without sufficient cause, given that U.S. energy production has been at historic highs during recent years.
Under direction from the executive order, the Army Corps of Engineers implemented special permit procedures that accelerate project approvals by circumventing standard environmental reviews—a process typically reserved for actual emergencies such as hurricanes or major oil spills like Deepwater Horizon.
The Department of the Interior is also accused of fast-tracking fossil fuel development based on an asserted but unsubstantiated energy emergency while restricting cost-effective renewable projects. As a result, Raoul and other attorneys general expanded their legal action to include these allegations against Interior.
In addition to enforcing state laws, protecting consumers, promoting community safety, and advocating for environmental issues statewide—including handling thousands of consumer complaints each year—the Illinois Attorney General’s office provides resources for vulnerable groups such as workers, immigrants, and seniors (official website). The office also collaborates with law enforcement agencies and offers services related to fraud and civil rights (official website).
Joining Illinois in this lawsuit are attorneys general from California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
