BREAKING: President Trump is preparing to invoke Cold War-era powers to renew oil production off the southern California coast, per Bloomberg.
Trump is set to invoke the Defense Production Act to preempt state laws and allow Sable Offshore Crop to restart oil production in…
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) March 11, 2026
The legal basis is the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA).
Under the DPA, a presidential order has the force of federal law and can preempt state laws if the order is issued to meet national defense or national security needs — including energy supply emergencies.
The Department of Justice issued a 22‑page legal opinion on March 3, 2026, confirming that the DPA can override California’s environmental and permitting laws to allow Sable Offshore Corp. to restart production.