By Arianna Skibell

Gavels and law books are shown in San Francisco. | Jeff Chiu/AP

State attorneys general have gotten more powerful in recent years, increasing their political capital by teaming up to fight national policies.

Now, 10 states are preparing to elect new attack dogs who could thwart the incoming president’s political agenda — including when it comes to climate change, write Lesley Clark and Niina H. Farah.

If Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election, GOP lawyers are sure to continue their crusade against Biden-era policies to cut planet-warming pollution from cars and power plants, among other climate-focused actions. If former President Donald Trump retakes the White House, Democratic attorneys general will pick up where they left off at the end of his first term, trying to stop his planned rollbacks of environmental regulations.

State attorneys general in both parties have a successful track record.

Republican attorneys general have won nearly 76 percent of their lawsuits against the Biden administration, while Democrats prevailed in 83 percent of their cases against Trump, according to data compiled by Paul Nolette, director of Marquette University’s Les Aspin Center for Government.

Attorney general races are on the ballot next week in West Virginia, Oregon, Montana, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Washington, Missouri, Vermont, Utah and North Carolina. Many of those states are expected to welcome a new leader in the attorney general’s office — including in West Virginia, where frequent Environmental Protection Agency antagonist Patrick Morrisey is running for governor.

One race worth watching is in Pennsylvania, which is shaping up to be one of the most competitive. Former Democratic state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and Republican York County District Attorney Dave Sunday are running to replace Democratic incumbent Michelle Henry.

Pennsylvania became a focal point for climate liability litigation when Bucks County sued the fossil fuel industry earlier this year for the effects of climate change. But the attorney general race has largely focused on crime and other issues.

Sunday has virtually no record on climate or environmental issues. DePasquale’s environmental credentials, on the other hand, are long, including serving three years as deputy secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection. As auditor, he launched an investigation into whether the state was adequately protecting its environmental resources in the wake of the shale gas boom.

For the full rundown on climate and energy issues dominating attorney general elections in certain states, check out Lesley and Niina’s breakdown.

It's Monday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind  E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to askibell@eenews.net.

Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Josh Siegel breaks down whether Harris' and Trump's energy policy pitches are moving the needle in Pennsylvania and Michigan.

AI is powering up shuttered nuclear power plants. | Matt Rourke/AP

Can Big Tech revive nuclear power?
In search of vast amounts of clean power for artificial intelligence and the digital economy, the tech industry is resurrecting nuclear power, writes Nico Portuondo.

This month alone, cloud computing giants Google and Amazon struck lucrative deals with developers of advanced reactors to help power future data centers.

That came after Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement to buy power from a retired unit at the Three Mile Island nuclear station in Pennsylvania, the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history in 1979. Amazon also plans to invest $500 million in several small modular reactor projects.

Dems' uphill battle: Selling voters on a green economy
Democrats are still struggling to pitch voters on their vision of a green manufacturing and jobs boom, according to a new POLITICO-Morning Consult poll — as time runs out for Harris to convince voters she is a more effective steward of the economy than Trump, writes Zack Colman.

Fewer than three in 10 voters said Biden’s big legislative accomplishments had improved their lives and communities. Overall, voters’ attitudes about the Biden-Harris administration’s massive domestic spending initiatives have either barely budged or slightly dimmed since April.

Powerful utility group chief heads for exit
Edison Electric Institute President Dan Brouillette is stepping down less than a year after taking the helm of the electric utility lobbying group, writes Timothy Cama.

Brouillette, whose leadership had inspired grumbles from some in the energy community, announced his departure in a statement Monday. The former Trump administration Energy secretary was vague in describing his reasons for leaving, referring to a desire to “broaden my focus” in working on the domestic and international energy and security challenges.

Coal, oil and gas — oh my! Scientists have found that planet-warming pollution is growing at the fastest rate in history.

Free electricity, anyone? Britain tries new tricks to green its grid.

A showcase of some of our best subscriber content.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks before Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday in New York. | Evan Vucci/AP

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not face federal charges over allegations he transported the head of a dead whale from Massachusetts to New York decades ago and kept the animal’s skull at his home.

The fastest-moving wildfires are by far the most destructive because they force firefighters to focus on saving lives instead of saving property. Now, wildfires are growing faster with climate change.

Nearly three weeks after the country’s largest water utility company publicly disclosed that it had been hacked, the full extent of the cyberattack that infiltrated its computer systems still is not clear.

That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.

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