President Trump signed an executive order directing his attorney general to scrutinize the constitutionality of state laws that restrict the use of oil, coal and natural gas.

Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to prioritize climate change related laws that limit and tax carbon emissions, such as California and Washington’s cap-and-trade programs.

Backed by coal miners in hard hats, the president announced the order at the White House on April 8.

“I’m instructing the Department of Justice to identify and fight every single unconstitutional state or local regulation that’s putting our coal miners out of business,” Trump said.

The order, titled “Protecting American energy from state overreach,” was one of four energy-related orders Trump signed. The others are intended to promote grid reliability, reopen federal land to new coal leases and repeal Biden administration emission standards that threaten to close coal plants.

The executive orders will turbocharge the coal industry, Trump said. “I call it ‘beautiful, clean coal.’ I tell my people, never use the word ‘coal,’ unless you put ‘beautiful, clean’ before it.”

The “state overreach” order also is intended to protect natural gas, oil, hydropower and nuclear energy from being restrained by state laws.

The Trump administration argues state laws have punished some energy providers, discriminated against out of state businesses, made the country less secure and less prosperous.

“Americans must be permitted to heat their homes, fuel their cars and have peace of mind — free from policies that make energy more expensive and inevitably degrade quality of life,” the order reads.

Washington and Oregon, following California’s lead, have adopted laws to phase out fossil fuels. All three states plan to ban new gas-powered cars beginning with 2035 models. Red states are challenging the bans as an unconstitutional power grab by blue states to dictate the national vehicle market.

Trump’s executive order cites examples of state laws the administration will look at, including California’s cap-and-trade program, which provided the model for Washington’s cap-and-trade program.

“California, for example, punished carbon use by adopting impossible caps on the amount of carbon businesses may use, all but forcing businesses to pay large sums to ‘trade’ carbon credits to meet California’s radical requirements,” the order reads.

The Washington Department of Ecology is looking into linking Washington’s cap-and-trade program to California’s program. The states cap carbon emissions and require fossil fuel suppliers to bid for carbon allowances. Washington voters in November rejected a referendum to repeal cap-and-trade.

Washington electric utilities will no longer be able to openly supply coal-generated electricity after this year, though utilities will be able to purchase “unspecified power” likely to include coal power.

The American Petroleum Institute welcomed Trump’s order. Environmental groups criticized it.

“This is federal tyranny, plain and simple,” said Justin Balik, vice president of Evergreen Action, an advocacy group founded by staff members of Jay Inslee’s 2020 presidential campaign. Washington enacted laws to phase out fossil fuels while Inslee was governor.