US government sues Minnesota to block climate case against energy companies
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 4
US government sues Minnesota to block climate case against energy companies
12 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 4
The Justice Department filed the case in US District Court in Minnesota, targeting a six-year-old state lawsuit against Exxon Mobil, the American Petroleum Institute, Koch Industries and Flint Hills Resources.
It seeks an injunction and a ruling that Minnesota's consumer-protection case is pre-empted by federal law because it effectively regulates global greenhouse gas emissions.
The move follows a Trump executive order directing the department to shield the energy industry from state overreach; Minnesota's original case had survived dismissal attempts in state courts.
With federal climate rules rescinded, are state lawsuits the new frontline for climate accountability?
Can states use consumer laws to police global climate issues, or does that power belong only to the federal government?