This legal challenge comes in the wake of a series of actions taken by President Donald Trump earlier this month, in which he signed three resolutions dismantling key aspects of California’s green energy policies. These moves directly countered the state’s push toward net-zero emissions by 2035—a cornerstone of Governor Gavin Newsom’s environmental legacy and a likely focal point of his anticipated 2028 presidential run.
At the heart of the case is California’s 2012 petition for EPA approval of regulations requiring automakers to:
Lower average greenhouse gas emissions across their new vehicle fleets sold in the state, and
Ensure that a mandated percentage of their offerings are fully electric vehicles.
The lawsuit was brought by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), whose president and CEO, Chet Thompson, hailed the Supreme Court’s decision as a clear affirmation of their right to push back against what they see as unlawful government overreach.
“This ruling removes any doubt that fuel manufacturers have the right to challenge California’s extreme electric vehicle mandates,” Thompson said in a statement to The Daily Caller. “These mandates are not only illegal—they’re harmful to America’s energy future. Congress never gave California the authority to set its own nationwide climate rules, ban gasoline-powered vehicles, or distort the Clean Air Act to justify sweeping industry changes.”
The ruling is expected to reignite national debate over federal versus state authority in environmental regulation, especially as blue states like California attempt to implement aggressive climate policies that critics argue carry unintended economic consequences for the broader U.S.