PHOENIX, Ariz. — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, along with 11 other state attorneys general, is urging Congress to terminate the national energy emergency declared by President Donald Trump under Executive Order 14156.
In a letter sent to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Mayes and her counterparts expressed support for S.J. Res. 10, a resolution aimed at ending the emergency declaration, which they argue is unfounded and counterproductive.
“Declaring a national energy emergency when America’s energy production is at an all-time high ignores the facts and jeopardizes our efforts to build a clean, reliable, and affordable energy future,” Mayes said. “I urge Congress to reject this baseless emergency declaration and instead focus on policies that promote a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future for all Americans.”
Attorneys General Push Back Against Emergency Declaration
In the letter, the attorneys general argue there is no legitimate energy emergency, pointing to the United States’ record-high energy production and a resilient electricity grid.
“There is no energy emergency. American energy production is at an all-time high and our electricity grid is resilient,” the letter states. “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.”
The letter highlights that the U.S. has been a net energy exporter since 2019, with booming production of crude oil, natural gas, and a rapidly growing renewable energy sector.
The attorneys general also challenge the narrative that fossil fuel underproduction threatens the grid, pointing instead to climate change-induced extreme weather as the primary risk factor.
“Burning fossil fuels only increases the instances of severe extreme weather that damages our nation’s infrastructure and threatens human life,” the letter reads.
Renewables Key to Grid Stability, AGs Argue
The letter also highlights the importance of renewable energy in enhancing grid reliability and affordability. Citing the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the attorneys general emphasized that the biggest threat to grid stability is extreme weather events, not a lack of fossil fuel production.
The attorneys general argue that Trump’s energy emergency undermines efforts to modernize the grid and adopt cleaner energy sources.
“By discouraging a diverse portfolio of energy generation—including home-grown, renewable sources like solar and wind—the emergency declaration puts Americans at greater risk and weakens long-term grid stability,” they wrote.
The letter also references data from the Department of Energy, noting that the U.S. has enough renewable energy potential to meet 100 times the annual nationwide energy demand.
Call to Action
The coalition of attorneys general urged the Senate Committee to approve S.J. Res. 10, warning that the current emergency declaration could lead to swift deregulation that would make the nation’s energy supply less reliable and less affordable.
“The Emergency Declaration is unsupported by the evidence,” the letter concludes. “If left unchecked, it will make our nation’s energy and electricity supply less reliable and less affordable.”
In addition to Attorney General Mayes, the letter was signed by attorneys general from New Mexico, New York, Maryland, Colorado, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Hawaii.
