NRDC v. NHTSA

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is responsible for promulgating Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for automobiles. In the Trump Administration, NHTSA rolled back standards that had been issued by the Obama Administration. After President Biden took office, NHTSA issued a new set of standards requiring increased fuel economy. A group of states led by Texas, along with groups representing the fossil fuel industry, challenged the new standards, arguing that they represent an improper effort to require electrification of the nation’s auto fleet. Public Citizen, as part of a coalition of nonprofit organizations, intervened in the litigation to support NHTSA’s standards, as did California and several other states. In 2025, before the court decided the case, the court granted NHTSA’s request to hold the case in abeyance.