Filed Date: March 30, 2026
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
On March 31, 2026, the State of California filed a lawsuit against Chris Wright, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Department of Energy itself in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The case centers on Secretary Wright's March 13, 2026 order issued under the Defense Production Act (DPA), which directed Sable Offshore Corporation to immediately restart oil pipeline operations that had been shut down since a catastrophic 2015 oil spill at Refugio State Beach. According to the complaint, Sable requested this federal order to bypass state regulatory requirements and existing court orders preventing the restart, and the company restarted the pipelines on March 14, 2026, despite lacking necessary state permits and being subject to a preliminary injunction and federal consent decree requiring compliance with state approval processes. California brought four causes of action alleging violations of the Administrative Procedure Act, constitutional separation of powers principles, and the Tenth Amendment. The state seeks judicial declaration that Wright's order is unconstitutional, vacatur of the order, and injunctive relief to prevent defendants from authorizing pipeline operations without required state approvals and court order compliance.
The same day as the complaint was filed, the clerk issued notice of four related cases: 2:26-cv-02946-WLH-MAA; 2:26-cv-02739-AB-PVCx; 2:20-cv-02415-SVW-SSC; and 2:25-cv-04165-DMG-AGR. Plaintiff also filed a notice of request for statewide or nationwide relief with the clerk of court. This case is ongoing.
Summary Authors
Ben Hefter (4/2/2026)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73116376/parties/state-of-california-v-chris-wright/
Jr, Dennis L (California)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73116376/state-of-california-v-chris-wright/
Last updated April 8, 2026, 3:08 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government
Key Dates
Filing Date: March 30, 2026
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
The State of California via Attorney General Rob Bonta
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.
Ex parte Young (federal or state officials)
Constitutional Clause(s):
Federalism (including 10th Amendment)
Other Dockets:
Central District of California 2:26-cv-03396
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Relief Sought:
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
Environmental Justice and Resources:
Petroleum and petroleum byproducts
Presidential/Gubernatorial Authority:
Case Summary of State Of California v. Wright, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/48007/ (last updated 4/2/2026).