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After years of trying to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for their climate impacts, states and cities finally have a big victory.

A protester holding a sign that reads "STOP COAL NOW!"
Credit: Markus Spiske / Creative Commons

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday decided it wouldn’t hear a batch of lawsuits against fossil fuel companies over contributions to climate change. The move sent the cases back to state courts, where experts say the municipalities that brought the suits have a better chance of winning.

It’s been six years since California cities and counties kicked off a trend of suing oil, gas and coal companies for allegedly misleading people about fossil fuels’ contributions to global warming. Rhode Island soon followed suit, as did cities in Colorado, Hawaii and Maryland. But there’s been pretty much no action in the cases since as fossil fuel giants looked to get the cases transferred to federal courts and, most recently, to the conservative-dominated Supreme Court.

But the Supreme Court’s decision this week is “like a dam breaking,” as it allows those trials to get started, climate experts and advocates told the Guardian. 

And as University of Hawaii law professor David Antolini told Grist a few months ago, “the fossil fuel companies are afraid of state courts” where they’ll now stand trial and face juries of actual residents affected by climate change.

“They are petrified of state courts who are closer to the problem, closer to the issues, and absolutely terrified of going in front of juries of real people.”

More clean energy news

🏭 Cracking down on coal plants: The U.S. EPA is preparing to propose power plant emissions limits so strict that they’ll likely require operators to capture most of their emissions or switch off of fossil fuels altogether. (Washington Post, E&E News)

📍 This land is renewables’ land: Land use is quickly becoming an issue as the U.S. looks to build out all the solar and wind power it needs to meet clean electricity goals, with endangered species, terrain, and other factors all playing into whether a site can host clean energy facilities. (Washington Post)

💡 Environmental justice in the spotlight: President Biden announced a new White House Office of Environmental Justice and directed federal agencies to focus on how climate change and pollution disproportionately affect minority and tribal communities. (New York Times)

🌎 Climate law under attack: As Republicans attempt to take the Inflation Reduction Act hostage as part of their debt ceiling negotiations, the Biden administration warns that gutting the law would imperil thousands of clean energy jobs. (Politico)

👩🏽‍🔧 Electricians wanted: Women could help fill the thousands of electrician jobs the U.S. needs to electrify vehicles and buildings, but a lack of women in the field and horror stories of on-the-job bullying deter more from joining. (Guardian/Nexus Media News) 

➡️ Read more: A lack of funding for and emphasis on trade education in U.S. high schools is another factor worsening the country’s electrician shortage. (New Yorker) 

🌋 An explosive carbon capture key: Scientists discover a volcanic microbe that absorbs carbon dioxide “astonishingly quickly” and could fuel new carbon capture developments. (Guardian)

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Kathryn brings her extensive editorial background to the Energy News Network team, where she oversees the early-morning production of ENN’s five email digest newsletters as well as distribution of ENN’s original journalism with other media outlets. From documenting chronic illness’ effect on college students to following the inner workings of Congress, Kathryn has built a broad experience in her more than five years working at major publications including The Week Magazine. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Science in magazine journalism and information management and technology from Syracuse University.