June 12, 2024
Columbia, SC (Highpoint Digest) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined an Alabama led 19-state coalition asking the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional the efforts of California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Rhode Island to dictate the future of American energy policy. Those five states have brought unprecedented litigation against the nation’s most vital energy companies for an alleged “climate crisis,” and they demand billions of dollars in damages. As litigation proceeds in their state courts, California and the other states threaten to impose ruinous penalties and coercive remedies that would affect energy and fuel consumption and production across the country. The coalition raises the grave constitutional problems with California’s extraordinary tactics and asks the Supreme Court to take up a multi-state lawsuit.
“Each state is sovereign, and these other states have no right to tell South Carolina what to do, especially when their plans would cost South Carolinians more and reduce our ability to generate the energy we need,” Attorney General Wilson said.
The Supreme Court will decide whether to hear the 19-state lawsuit against California and the other four proposed defendants. The coalition’s filing includes a motion, complaint, and brief, which argue that traditional energy sources like oil, natural gas, and coal are essential for American prosperity. The states also argue that the matter is of utmost importance because our system of federalism gives each state no more power than any other state.
In April, South Carolina joined a 20-state amicus brief in the Supreme Court asking the Court to review a lawsuit filed by the City and County of Honolulu, which also seeks to impose billions of dollars in penalties on the energy industry. Honolulu claims that the companies deceived consumers about the emissions created by everyday products like gasoline. The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the energy companies’ request to hear the case.
In addition to South Carolina, the Alabama-led coalition was joined by attorneys general in: Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Source: State of South Carolina Attorney General
Photo courtesy of Duke Energy
