Big Oil Opens the Supreme Court Term by Asking to Delete Climate Lawsuits From the Group Chat

ExxonMobil and Suncor will ask the Supreme Court to block Boulder’s state-law climate deception lawsuit before it reaches trial.

The term starts with oil

The U.S. Supreme Court opens its new term Monday with ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy asking the justices to stop a lawsuit brought by Boulder, Colorado. The city and county allege that the companies helped drive climate damage while misleading the public about fossil-fuel risks. The companies say federal law controls the field and state-law claims should not proceed. Nothing welcomes autumn like nine justices, two oil giants and an argument about who pays when the weather starts behaving like a deleted scene from a disaster movie.

Boulder wants damages

The local governments are seeking money for costs associated with climate change, including infrastructure and environmental harms. Their theory is based on alleged deception and state law, not a request for the court to write national emissions policy. Exxon and Suncor argue that the claims are functionally an attempt to regulate global emissions through litigation.

The stakes extend far beyond Colorado

Nearly 60 similar cases have been filed by states and municipalities. A broad ruling for the companies could cut off many of them before evidence is tested at trial. A narrower decision could leave room for some consumer-protection or deception claims. Either way, the case will shape how local governments try to recover climate-related costs from fossil-fuel producers.

The administration picked a side

The Trump administration supports Exxon and Suncor, arguing that the Clean Air Act and federal authority displace Boulder’s claims. The court’s conservative majority has often been skeptical of expansive environmental regulation. Justice Samuel Alito is recused because of energy-sector stock holdings, leaving eight justices to hear the dispute.

A ruling comes later

Monday’s argument is not a verdict, and Boulder has not yet proved its allegations. The justices are deciding whether the lawsuit can move forward under state law. A decision is expected by June. Until then, both sides will explain that their preferred jurisdiction is the only thing standing between constitutional order and complete societal collapse, as tradition requires.

Sources: Original reporting and source context.