Texas Governor Gregg Abbott issued an executive order on Thursday directing state agencies to "use all lawful powers" to identify and combat "federal overreach" in the energy sector by the Biden administration.
"Each state agency should work to identify potential litigation, notice-and-comment opportunities, and any other means of preventing federal overreach within the law," the executive order reads. The order specifically discusses "federal action that threatens the continued strength, vitality, and independence of the energy industry."
The order comes after President Joe Biden issued a number of executive orders targeting the energy industry as part of his administration's efforts to combat climate change.
Such orders include an indefinite moratorium on the issuance of new oil and gas extraction permits on federal land, rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, and cancelling the binational Keystone XL pipeline project.
The oil and gas industry is incredibly important for the economy of Texas. The state produces nearly half of all oil in the United States, and about a quarter of the country's natural gas. The state also made more than $111 billion from oil and gas in 2019.
Biden, however, campaigned in part on fighting climate change, making his efforts to curtail the growth of the fossil fuel industry important for his administration. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry suggested on Wednesday that those who lose their jobs as a result of the Biden administration's energy policies could simply go to work as solar panel or wind turbine technicians.
Texas has already fought against the Biden administration in court on the issue of immigration, with a federal judge delivering a blow to the new President by temporarily halting an executive order which would have prevented the deportation of illegal immigrants for 100 days.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that the moratorium violates Biden's duty to ensure that the laws of the United States are "faithfully executed," and that the executive order would disproportionately harm the state of Texas, which has among the largest populations of illegal immigrants in the country.
It is unclear what legal action the state of Texas may take against Biden's energy policies.
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