California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration challenging the U.S. Department of Energy's order that allowed Sable Offshore Corp. to restart two onshore oil pipelines without state approval.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, targets Energy Secretary Chris Wright's "Pipeline Capacity Prioritization and Allocation Order" issued under the Defense Production Act. The order directed Sable to restart oil transport through lines CA-324 and CA-325, known as the Las Flores Pipelines.

Bonta argues that Wright lacks authority under the Defense Production Act to excuse Sable from compliance with state and federal laws and court orders. The suit alleges the order violates the Administrative Procedure Act and infringes on California's sovereign power under the Tenth Amendment.

The pipelines are subject to a federal court-approved Consent Decree from 2020 following the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill, when CA-324 ruptured and released hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil near Santa Barbara. The spill resulted in $60 million in penalties and damages and established prerequisites for any pipeline restart, including State Fire Marshal approval.

Wright issued the order on March 13, 2026, citing a prior Executive Order declaring a national energy emergency. The order directed Sable to prioritize crude oil transportation and commence performance under contracts for oil production and transportation.

The lawsuit claims the order violates separation of powers by superseding the Consent Decree and allows Sable to trespass on state land, as four miles of pipeline run through Gaviota State Park without California's permission.

This represents Bonta's second lawsuit against the Trump Administration regarding the Sable pipelines. A January lawsuit challenging federal regulators' orders to reclassify the pipelines as interstate remains pending in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.