May 22, 2025
(Anchorage, AK) – Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor recently joined a coalition of 23 states to challenge Vermont’s Climate Superfund Act. Vermont’s dangerous law, like the one passed in New York, will fine America’s coal, oil and natural gas suppliers out of business.
"Alaska is home to the most abundant natural resources and some of the most stunning environmental treasures in the nation. Protecting those resources is important and done everyday here through rigorous environmental standards. However, Vermont's newest legal efforts expand their authority and agenda, push their state powers far beyond any reasonable interpretation of the Constitution, and improperly attempt to impose on Alaska’s and other states' sovereign authority," said Attorney General Taylor.
Vermont’s superfund law may be even more dangerous than New York’s. The act punishes a small group of domestic energy producers for global greenhouse gas emissions from all sources from 1995 to 2024. During that time, coal, oil and natural gas producers were following state and federal regulations, and Vermont had no issue using the affordable and reliable fuel produced to power their state.
Now, the Vermont Natural Resources Office is attempting to penalize those energy suppliers through their Superfund Act. The Act has no cap, so the fines levied against decades of past energy production could be in the billions.
The lawsuit points out how the law will be devastating to traditional energy producers, leaving them with no other option than to cease operations, resulting in massive job losses. It will also shift power production to countries like China, India and Russia, which operate under little to no environmental standards.
As part of his Executive Orders to protect our nation’s energy interests, President Donald Trump promised federal reinforcements to states as they fight these types of superfund laws. Delivering on that promise, the U.S. Department of Justice also filed a recent lawsuit challenging Vermont’s law.
The coalition is asking the court to, among other things, issue an injunction and declare the act preempted by federal statutes.
The effort is led by West Virginia. Alaska joined with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming in seeking to join the lawsuit.
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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.
