AG Nessel targets Michigan oil companies while her office drives 77 gas-fueled vehicles

When Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel sues Michigan oil companies, she could target many different entities, from oil pipeline operators to refineries to gas stations.

She announced her intention in May 2024 to sue by using third-party attorneys, Michigan Capitol Confidential reported. Lawsuits could target the largest gas station companies such as Speedway, Phillips 66, Shell, Marathon or Exxon-Mobil.

Ann Arbor has 38 registered gas stations, while Grand Rapids has 83 and Detroit has 348, per information the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development released in response to an open records request.

Nessel claims that Michiganders hurt the environment when filling up their vehicles or cooling their homes.

“Our ‘Pure Michigan’ identity is under threat from the effects of climate change,” Nessel said in a 2024 news release. “Warmer temperatures are shrinking ski seasons in the UP and disrupting the wonderful blooms of Holland’s Tulip Time Festival. Severe weather events are on the rise. These impacts threaten not only our way of life but also our economy and pose long-term risks to Michigan’s thriving agribusiness. The fossil fuel industry, despite knowing about these consequences, prioritized profits over people and the environment.”

Previously, Nessel has charged pharmaceutical companies under a statute intended for drug dealers.

Nessel’s office uses 77 vehicles, according to the 2025 state fleet plan. That includes 45 SUVs, 29 coupes or sedans and three vans.

Since Nessel was elected in 2019, her office has used 137 vehicles, according to a document obtained from the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget. Of those vehicles, 53 of those vehicles are no longer in use, having been sold or otherwise disposed of.

“Vehicles still in use have manufacture years of 2014 to 2024,” the Department of Technology, Management and Budget wrote it its response. “The make and models of vehicles are: General Motors — GMC, Terrain and Chevrolet Blazer, Cruz, Equinox, Impala, Malibu, Suburban, and Traverse; Ford Motor Company — Ford Bronco, Focus, Edge, Escape, Explorer, and Taurus; and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles — Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Charger, Durango, and Grand Caravan, and Jeep Cherokee and Compass.”

Nessel FOIA by mcclallen

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to transition the state’s 14,000-vehicle fleet to electric ones by between 2033 and 2040. The state has so far transitioned less than 1% of its vehicles.

The state currently has 29 electric vehicles on hand, with another one on order. It appears that Nessel’s office uses no EVs.

Below is the breakdown of the electric vehicles that the state of Michigan owns or leases by year, make, model and price estimate:

• Six 2025 Chevy Silverado EVs: $57,096-$93,000
• One 2025 Chevy Silverado EV that has not arrived yet: $57,096-$93,000
• Four 2024 Chevy Silverado EVs: Around $90,000
• One 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-e: $45,390
• Ten 2024 Chevy Equinox EVs: Starts at $41,900.
• Two 2024 Chevy Blazer EVs: Pricing starts at $50,195
• One 2023 Chevy Bolt: $17,232-$19,493
• Three 2023 Ford F150 Lightning: $49,995
• Two 2021 Chevy Bolts: $37,495–$42,695

Earlier this month, a South Carolina judge dismissed with prejudice a similar lawsuit brought by the city of Charleston.

“If these lawsuits were successful, municipalities, companies, and individuals across the country could bring suits for injuries after every weather event,” Circuit Judge Roger Young wrote. “The list of potential plaintiffs is unbounded. Moreover, under Plaintiff’s theory, there is no reason to limit the universe of potential defendants to energy companies alone.”

Nessel’s office hasn’t responded to a request for comment.