OKLAHOMA CITY (May 6, 2025) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond is opposing Vermont's Climate Superfund Act, a measure that could adversely impact Oklahoma's energy industry.
The action is part of a 24-state coalition challenging a law that would impose potentially billions of dollars in fines on domestic energy producers, including many Oklahoma-based companies vital to the state's economy.
“Vermont's law is a direct attack on Oklahoma's energy producers and the thousands of hardworking Oklahomans employed in this critical industry,” said Drummond. “This unconstitutional overreach not only threatens our state's economic foundation but also risks driving energy production to countries like China, India and Russia where environmental standards are far less stringent. I will always defend Oklahoma's energy sector against harmful and misguided policies.”
The Vermont law targets coal, oil and natural gas suppliers for global greenhouse gas emissions from 1995 to 2024 — a period when these companies were following state and federal regulations. The Act has no cap, so the fines levied against decades of past energy production could be in the billions.
The coalition's lawsuit aligns with action taken by the U.S. Department of Justice, which filed its own challenge to Vermont's law, delivering on President Trump's promise to provide federal reinforcement to states fighting these types of superfund laws.
The coalition is asking the court to, among other things, issue an injunction and declare the Act preempted by federal statutes.
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming are seeking to join the lawsuit.
