The state’s highest court said the cities of Baltimore and Annapolis and Anne Arundel County tried to use state and local nuisance laws to punish energy companies BP, ExxonMobil and Chevron.
Typically, state nuisance laws are used in disputes with neighbors where an individual may be conducting activities that lower the value of another individual’s property. Legal experts said state nuisance laws are inappropriate to address damages from climate change.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear oil companies' arguments in a climate lawsuit filed by Boulder, Colorado. Either way the high court ultimately rules, the case could impact energy affordability across the U.S.