The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments from oil and gas companies seeking to block climate-related lawsuits filed by state and local governments, a case many in the business community view as a test of whether energy policy is being shaped through litigation instead of legislation. Industry leaders warn the growing wave of climate lawsuits could expose domestic producers and manufacturers to new liability, higher energy costs and regulatory uncertainty. Business groups argue national energy policy should be debated and decided by Congress, not imposed through a patchwork of courtroom rulings that complicate long-term investment decisions.

“Trial lawyers and activist governments are trying to rewrite national energy policy in courtrooms instead of Congress, and employers are the ones stuck paying the bill through higher costs and legal uncertainty,” said Lindsey Short, managing director of energy and advocacy services for the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. “Manufacturers depend on reliable, affordable energy to compete, and that requires predictable rules set through lawmaking, not a wave of politically driven lawsuits that punish domestic production and make it harder to invest, hire and compete.” 2/24/2026