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ODESSA, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday signed an executive order that directs state agencies to “use all lawful powers and tools” to challenge federal actions that “threaten” the energy industry.
The order came following a roundtable discussion in Odessa with the governor and energy workers, leaders and advocates.
In the executive order, Abbott claimed President Joe Biden showed “extreme hostility toward the energy industry” when he rejoined the Paris Agreement and revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. “In a further blow to Texas’s energy sector that will cost thousands more jobs, the Biden Administration has suspended new drilling permits and new leasing for production on federal lands and in federal waters,” the order stated.
The order directs state agencies to seek out potential litigation when it comes to challenging federal actions on energy.
“The men and women who work in the energy industry produce the affordable energy that powers our lives and they are vital to the Texas economy,” Abbott said. “Texas is a pro-energy state, and we will not sit idly by and allow the Biden administration or local governments to destroy jobs and raise energy costs for Texas families. My Executive Order will help ensure that the federal government cannot take away the livelihoods of Texans who work so hard to provide our state and our nation with the energy we need.”
During a briefing after the roundtable discussion, Abbott also said he supports legislation that prohibits cities from banning natural gas appliances, which happened in San Francisco in Nov. 2020.
The entire executive order can be read here.
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