Original post, September 4, 2026:
This brief, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of members of Congress as amici curiae, supports California’s challenge to a Department of Energy (DOE) order directing pipeline operator Sable Offshore to ignore state law and restart operation under authority of the Defense Production Act (DPA). The brief argues that the Trump administration is abusing national defense powers to advance its fossil fuel agenda.
Update, October 9, 2026:
Ridgeline Center filed a similar amicus brief on behalf of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and other members of Congress in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California’s appeal of the District Court decision denying the state’s motion for a preliminary injunction. The new brief presents a comprehensive view of the broader record surrounding DOE’s invocation of national defense to unlock DPA authority, which reveals a pretextual effort to advance the Administration’s domestic fossil fuel-production agenda and rescue Sable from financial distress.
View a press release by lawmakers about the Ninth Circuit brief →
View the District Court brief →
View a press release by members of Congress about the District Court brief →