Supreme Court to Hear Boulder Climate Case

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Oct. 5 in Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, which could determine whether states and local governments can use state law to seek climate-damage costs from oil and gas companies. Boulder County alleges ExxonMobil and Suncor contributed to climate change and misled the public, and seeks compensation for costs including wildfire, flooding and infrastructure damage; the companies argue state-law claims improperly address a global issue and could impose sweeping costs on the energy industry. The ruling could affect dozens of similar lawsuits nationwide, with supporters seeking compensation for communities and opponents warning of fragmented energy policy and regulation through litigation. A decision is expected next year. Separately, 21 states and four cities have sued the Trump administration over the EPA’s repeal of Biden-era power-plant emissions limits, arguing the rollback was unlawful; the administration says power-plant greenhouse gas emissions do not warrant federal regulation.