Experts Warn Climate Suits Headed To Supreme Court Could Help Adversaries, Hit Family Energy Bills

WASHINGTON — Former Attorney General Bill Barr told the Daily Caller News Foundation that climate lawsuits against American energy companies could strengthen China and Russia.

The Supreme Court will hear Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County on Oct. 5, and the case will decide whether local and state governments can sue energy producers for climate damages under state law. Sovereign immunity shields state-owned producers from those suits, so only private companies would ever pay, Barr told the DCNF in a Wednesday interview.

“Because of sovereign immunity, the suits couldn’t be brought against government-owned energy companies, and so the only companies that would end up being hurt by this are private companies,” the former attorney general said.

Russia and China own their energy companies, Barr said.

“They can go out and get oil, and get it from around the world, and sell it without paying this carbon tax, essentially. Whereas, if one of our companies is selling the oil, then these costs are passed along to the consumers,” he explained.

Asked whether that outcome is unintended, Barr said the plaintiffs know what they are doing. “I think their objective has been to destroy the American energy industry.”

Asked who gains market share if they succeed, Barr answered, “Our adversaries.”

Barr spoke earlier Wednesday morning on a panel at a National Press Club forum hosted by mtf.news, alongside Jennifer Hernandez of Holland and Knight and Phil Goldberg, special counsel to the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project. Each of the panelists said a ruling for Boulder would affect regular people’s energy bills.

Global emissions would rise if production shifted to Chinese and Russian companies, Barr told the DCNF.