Attorney General Gentner Drummond has joined counterparts from 25 other states in opposing lawsuits viewed as a potential challenge to Oklahoma’s energy sector and state authority. According to a statement from the Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General, the coalition of attorneys general has submitted a brief to the Supreme Court of Maryland, urging the dismissal of three climate change-related lawsuits that they argue could place significant liability on energy companies.
As a key component of Oklahoma’s economy, the energy sector is central to the concern that these lawsuits pose more than legal challenges—they are viewed as direct challenges to the state’s authority to regulate its own energy industry. In defending this position, Drummond said, "Oklahoma will not stand by while out-of-state local governments attempt to destroy our energy industry through frivolous lawsuits.” He emphasized the significance of the energy industry to Oklahoma, highlighting the thousands of jobs it supports and declaring, "We will defend our constitutional rights and our economic future against this blatant overreach," as efforts continue to dismiss the cases that could transfer control of energy policies away from the state, as qouted in a news release.
The brief contends that these lawsuits, by seeking to regulate the global atmosphere, violate fundamental federalism principles upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Energy production, a critical part of Oklahoma’s economy, supports the livelihoods of many residents. The lawsuits are characterized as an infringement on Oklahoma’s sovereignty, with the state’s authority to protect the health and wellbeing of its citizens reportedly at risk.
The coalition, which includes Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, and Ohio, argues that Maryland law is not appropriate for resolving disputes that cross state lines without impacting states’ authority to regulate their own citizens. According to the Attorney General's office, the group expresses concern about potential limits on states’ ability to govern themselves, especially in relation to the energy sector.
