Environmental groups launch lawsuits to block President Trump’s energy expansion, desperately trying to strangle American oil and gas before “Drill Baby Drill” can unleash economic freedom and energy independence.
Story Highlights
- Earthjustice-led coalition files first lawsuit against Trump’s executive order to reopen Arctic and Gulf areas for offshore drilling, citing Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act limits.
- North Dakota jury hits Greenpeace with over $660 million verdict in Energy Transfer’s suit over Dakota Access Pipeline protests, potentially bankrupting the radical group.
- Trump’s move revokes Biden-era withdrawals, prioritizing American energy dominance against green lawfare that threatens jobs and lower fuel prices.
- Pipeline battles escalate as industry fights back against activist obstruction, echoing Trump’s first-term push for fossil fuel growth.
- Bipartisan coastal opposition ignores economic reality, favoring green agendas over working families’ needs.
Environmental Coalition Sues to Halt Trump’s Offshore Drilling Push
Earthjustice, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, NRDC, League of Conservation Voters, and Healthy Gulf filed the first environmental lawsuit against President Trump’s new administration in April 2025. The suit challenges Trump’s executive order revoking Biden-era permanent withdrawals of offshore areas from oil and gas leasing. These areas include much of the Arctic Ocean and parts of the Gulf of Mexico. Plaintiffs claim the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) prevents a president from unilaterally reopening withdrawn zones, citing a federal court precedent from Trump’s first term that blocked a similar attempt against Obama protections. This lawfare aims to lock away American resources, undermining Trump’s promise to boost domestic production for energy security and jobs. Coastal communities may oppose, but nearly 400 municipalities and 2,300 officials cannot override national interests in affordable energy.
Greenies Sue to Strangle American Energy (Again) Before Trump Can ‘Drill Baby Drill’: by Audrey Streb at CDN –
Green groups are suing to block Alaskan fossil fuel development after the Trump administration opened new lands for drilling, reversing… https://t.co/NdnbtJo7Vx pic.twitter.com/sSMmORsb3o
— Conservative Daily News (@CDNPosts) December 13, 2025
Greenpeace Faces Massive Penalty in Pipeline Protest Lawsuit
A North Dakota jury in March 2025 ordered Greenpeace USA and affiliates to pay hundreds of millions—over $660 million by Greenpeace’s count—to Energy Transfer for their role in 2016-2017 Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Energy Transfer, builder of DAPL, accused Greenpeace of orchestrating disruptions and defamation. The federal court dismissed an initial 2019 suit, but the state refiling led to this verdict. Greenpeace calls it an intimidation tactic to silence opposition, planning post-trial motions and appeals to the state supreme court. This outcome weakens a key green agitator, protecting infrastructure vital for transporting American energy amid rising demands.
Greenpeace responded with its “Bad Neighbor” report, cataloging Energy Transfer spills, emissions, and violations like 23 Pennsylvania criminal convictions. Yet FERC-proposed fines of $40-60 million highlight regulatory scrutiny on industry, not just activists. Trump’s energy agenda prioritizes production over endless litigation that drives up costs for families.
Historical Clash Resumes in Trump’s Second Term
Trump’s first administration advanced “energy dominance” by approving DAPL in 2017, despite Standing Rock protests led by the Sioux Tribe with Greenpeace support. Trump also tried reversing Obama withdrawals, but courts ruled OCSLA withdrawals are permanent. Biden expanded these protections, which Trump now targets to expand leasing on federal lands and waters. Environmental groups’ rapid 2025 suit repeats this pattern, using NEPA, Clean Water Act, and tribal claims to delay projects. Such obstruction fueled inflation under Biden; Trump’s deregulation promises relief through more supply, jobs, and lower prices—core conservative win against globalist green overreach.
Industry counters with lawsuits like Energy Transfer’s, framing green tactics as SLAPPs to deter participation. Power asymmetry favors deep-pocketed NGOs in court, but juries and Trump appointees shift momentum toward American workers. Bipartisan governors oppose offshore expansion, yet national security demands reject foreign oil dependence.
Sources:
Groups File First Environmental Lawsuit vs. New Trump Administration, Challenging Illegal Order to Undo Ocean Protections from Offshore Drilling
Legal Report on Energy Transfer vs. Greenpeace Verdict
Energy Transfer’s $300 Million Lawsuit Against Greenpeace Poses a Serious Threat to Free Speech in America
Greenpeace Spotlights Energy Transfer Pipeline Environmental Record
Greenpeace USA on Energy Transfer Lawsuit
Greenpeace USA ET Lawsuit Campaign
