Frontiers of Freedom has supported policies that expand Americans’ access to affordable, abundant, and reliable energy for decades. That mission is especially important in Iowa, where families, farmers, and manufacturers depend on stable electricity prices to remain competitive. President Trump’s focus on American energy production, and the broader national shift towards natural gas, has played a central role in keeping energy reliable and affordable across the Midwest.
President Trump’s leadership has rolled back burdensome regulatory barriers to energy production and encouraged domestic energy exploration. Those reforms strengthened U.S. energy security and helped hold down electricity costs at a time when demand continues to grow. For consumers and businesses, these policies have meant greater reliability and protection from price spikes that disproportionately hurt rural communities and energy-intensive industries.
Today, those gains are at risk. A lawsuit originating in Texas now threatens to undermine the progress made under President Trump’s energy agenda and reimpose higher costs on Americans nationwide. In November 2024, eleven Republican attorneys general, including Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, filed suit alleging that major asset managers used their investments in coal companies to pressure the industry into reducing output. The lawsuit claims that participation in climate initiatives amounted to collusion to restrict coal supply and raise energy prices.
Critically, senior officials within President Trump’s own administration have warned that this case could have serious unintended consequences. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have cautioned how forcing divestment from coal would ultimately hurt consumers, not help them. Wright called the potential outcome “a tragedy” that would leave “everyone” worse off, while Burgum warned that “everybody who pays an electrical bill” would feel the impact. Their concern is paramount for states like Iowa, where affordability and grid reliability are essential for agriculture, manufacturing, and household budgets.
While Frontiers of Freedom agrees that political activism should not dictate investment decisions, the reality is that coal’s decline began long before these climate initiatives, driven largely by market forces and the lower cost of natural gas. Attempting to litigate that transition away will not reverse economic realities – but it could discourage investment across the energy sector and drive prices higher.
As U.S. electricity demand is projected to reach record highs in 2026, with the Energy Information Administration forecasting annual growth of 1.7% to 2% following record consumption levels after 2025, these risks are critical. Iowa’s economy depends on policies that promote competition, investment, and reliability, not legal actions that create uncertainty and restrict capital.
President Trump’s commitment to common-sense energy policies has strengthened American energy dominance and delivered real savings for consumers. This lawsuit moves Iowa in the opposite direction. Policymakers should carefully reconsider whether pursuing it truly serves the interests of consumers, workers, and the long-term stability of America’s energy system.
Join Frontiers of Freedom in telling Attorney General Bird to drop the lawsuit and protect President Trump’s coal agenda.
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