Supreme Court Will Hear Oil Firms' Bid To Block Boulder Climate Suit
High court agreed Monday to decide whether federal law pre-empts state climate claims and whether it has jurisdiction to hear Suncor and ExxonMobil's appeal.
Overview
The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil's bid to block Boulder and Boulder County's state-law climate lawsuit.
The companies appealed after the Colorado Supreme Court allowed the Boulder case to proceed, arguing federal law pre-empts state claims seeking damages for climate impacts.
President Donald Trump's administration filed a brief supporting the companies, while Boulder lawyers and Mayor Aaron Brockett urged the justices not to intervene at an early stage, according to filings and statements.
Dozens of cities and counties have filed similar suits nationwide seeking billions of dollars in damages, and legal experts warned a ruling for the companies could void more than a dozen comparable cases.
The justices directed parties to brief whether the Court has statutory and Article III jurisdiction to hear the appeal and whether federal law pre-empts state claims, a step experts said could slow other climate cases.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources generally report this story neutrally: they summarize court actions and legal arguments, present quotes from both plaintiffs and energy companies (including the Trump administration's filing), and give procedural and historical context. Loaded accusations are reported as source content rather than editorial endorsement, and no evident selective emphasis guides the narrative.
Sources (11)
FAQ
The City of Boulder and Boulder County filed the lawsuit in April 2018, alleging that ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy contributed to climate change through fossil fuel activities, deceived the public about risks, and caused local harms like wildfires and floods under state tort laws including public nuisance and trespass.[1]
In a 5-2 decision in May 2025, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that federal law does not preempt Boulder's state-law claims, allowing the case to proceed to discovery and trial, while dismissing a consumer protection claim as time-barred.[1]
The Supreme Court will review whether federal law (such as the Clean Air Act) preempts state-law claims for damages from greenhouse gas emissions' global climate effects, and whether the Court has statutory and Article III jurisdiction to hear the appeal.[1]
Dozens of cities and counties have filed similar state-law suits nationwide seeking billions in damages; a ruling for the companies could void over a dozen cases, and the Supreme Court previously denied similar petitions, including one from Hawaii in 2025.
ExxonMobil and Suncor argue federal preemption due to national and international implications; Boulder asserts state tort laws apply to local harms from deception; the Trump administration supported the companies, while Boulder's lawyers urged no early intervention.[1]
History
6 sources