Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has joined forces with nine other state attorneys general to urge the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to support S.J. Res. 10. This resolution seeks to terminate the national energy emergency declared by former President Trump through an Executive Order.
The group of attorneys general contends that the notion of a current energy emergency is unfounded, pointing out that American energy production is at an unprecedented level. They argue in their letter, "the evidence shows that we already have an abundant and reliable energy system, and are well-equipped to maintain, diversify, and expand this reliable energy supply in the future, even as energy needs increase."
Highlighting the strength of domestic energy production, they mention record outputs of crude oil and natural gas and note that since 2019, the United States has been a net exporter of energy. The letter also references a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation which emphasizes that America's bulk power system is resilient. According to this report, extreme weather poses a more significant threat than any potential underproduction of fossil fuels.
Scientific data cited in the letter indicates that burning fossil fuels contributes to extreme weather events which can damage infrastructure and pose risks to human life. The attorneys general assert that declaring an energy emergency disregards these scientific findings and hinders efforts toward developing a modernized and resilient energy system. They argue it discourages investment in diverse sources of energy generation such as solar and wind power.
The letter further underscores renewable energy's vast potential by stating, "the Department of Energy estimates that the United States has enough renewable energy potential to meet 100 times the annual nationwide energy demand."
According to the signatories, continuing with Trump's Emergency Declaration without intervention could jeopardize both reliability and affordability within the nation's electricity supply.
Attorneys general from Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin joined AG Campbell in endorsing this call for legislative action.