California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy, challenging the department’s decision to allow Sable Offshore Corp. to restart oil production.
The legal action, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court, names Secretary of Energy Chris Wright in his role as head of the agency, and challenges his order to restart the pipeline under the Defense Production Act.
President Donald Trump invoked the act on March 13, ordering the pipeline to begin production through the Santa Ynez Unit. The next day, Sable announced that it had restarted production.
The lawsuit described the restart order as a “breathtaking power grab.” It also claimed that Wright and his department improperly used the DPA to get past state and federal regulations.
“This stunning usurpation of California’s police powers, and the powers of the state and federal courts, should be struck down swiftly and certainly,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit also claimed that the decision from the Department of Energy undermines California’s environmental and safety laws, as well as the state’s sovereignty and ability to exercise its authority within its own borders.
Bonta described the order as an attempt by Trump and his allies to violate the law and trample on states’ rights in the name of profits.
“California has seen first-hand the devastating environmental and public health impacts of these pipelines rupturing, and there are court-ordered legal requirements in place to ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” Bonta said in a press release.
“But instead of following the law, the Trump Administration and an increasingly desperate Sable are attempting to ride roughshod over state authority and judicial independence — all so that Sable can profit.”
Bonta also pledged to protect California’s rights and coastlines.
Noozhawk reached out to the Department of Energy for a comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication. Sable also did not respond to a request for comment.
Sable has been trying to restart oil production since it purchased the Santa Ynez Unit in 2024. The unit includes three offshore oil platforms, a processing facility, and transportation pipelines.
One of the pipelines connected to the unit ruptured in 2015, leading to the Refugio oil spill. The rupture spilled close to 120,000 gallons of oil onto the Gaviota coastline and into the ocean.
After purchasing the unit, Sable was required to obtain approval from the Office of the State Fire Marshal before it could restart the facilities. Sable had not received approval at the time of the restart.
The company also needed easements for the pipelines through Gaviota State Park. The pipeline was allowed to pass through the park due to old easement agreements, but the agreements expired in 2016.
California State Parks and Sable were negotiating new agreements, but the talks fell through. The State Parks Department filed a lawsuit on March 17 ordering the company to remove its pipelines from the state parks.
The company has faced resistance from local authorities who expressed concern about the its ability to safely operate the pipeline and its financial stability.
Assemblymember Gregg Hart, who represents District 37, praised the lawsuit, and said it’s a step to protect state rights and the community.
“These pipelines have already caused devastating harm to our coast, wildlife, and local economy, and we cannot allow federal overreach to bypass the safeguards that protect public health and safety,” Hart said.