Attorneys General Oppose U.S. Delegation to Brazil Climate Conference
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is among several Republican Attorneys General urging President Trump’s cabinet members to skip next month’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil.
“Dear Secretaries Burgum and Wright and Administrator Zeldin,
We write to urge you to put the safety, security, and economic interests of Americans first by declining to send a delegation to the upcoming United Nations’ Conference of the Parties meeting in Brazil (COP-30).”
Drummond and the other AGs sent a letter to the Secretaries of Interior, Energy, and EPA, arguing that attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference would lend credibility to what they called an anti-fossil-fuel event.
AGs Defend Traditional Energy and U.S. Growth
“Now, more than ever, America needs to take a strong stance against the anti-coal, anti-gas and anti-oil policies that the COP promotes,” the letter said. “If the United States participates, it would serve only to legitimize such unsound science and policies.”
They contended that the United States is positioned to lead in artificial intelligence development and needs consistent, cost-effective electricity to power data centers and technology hubs.
“Coal, natural gas, and oil can solve that crisis; they have long supported American prosperity and security by providing affordable, safe, and reliable energy generation,” Drummond and the others wrote. The group was led by West Virginia Attorney General John B. McCuskey.
Concerns Over Energy Stability and Renewables
The Attorneys General reminded the cabinet members that prior administrations supported COP policies that dismantled coal, oil, and gas production.
“The COP and other international actors favor less reliable and more expensive renewable energy sources, and that preference has proven harmful to American energy stability,” the letter stated. “The COP’s policy initiatives disregard the realities of renewable energy generation. Solar and wind power have significant reliability issues, and they are more expensive than traditional energy sources.”
Drummond and the others said the U.S. must rely on coal, gas, and oil to meet demand because solar and wind cannot.
Economic and Reliability Risks
“Even in ideal weather and geographic conditions, solar and wind power generation is unreliable—cloud coverage and wind speeds are consistently varied and impossible to predict. America cannot afford to entrust the future of its electric grid on energy sources that operate only when the wind blows or the sun shines,” they claimed.
“At the international level, the data speaks for itself. Countries that primarily rely on solar and wind energy have more expensive electricity. Overreliance on renewable generation destabilizes the electric grid and heightens the risk of dangerous and costly blackouts.”
Final Appeal to Trump Administration
In conclusion, the attorneys general warned, “Sending a delegation to COP-30 would do little more than lend credibility to the COP’s policies.”
Other signatories included Kris W. Kobach, Kansas Attorney General; Catherine L. Hanaway, Missouri Attorney General; Tim Griffin, Arkansas Attorney General; Brenna Bird, Iowa Attorney General; Mike Hilgers, Nebraska Attorney General; and Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General.
