Bucks County Herald Op-Ed: Bucks County’s energy lawsuit hurts Pennsylvania

By MAP Special Counsel Phil Goldberg and Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association President and CEO David N. Taylor

America’s manufacturers are leading the way in energy innovation, efficiency and sustainability, helping to power our country, create jobs and strengthen our economy. But some politicians, lawyers and other actors are targeting American energy producers with costly lawsuits, driving up energy prices for consumers and putting critical jobs at risk.

Bucks County is at the center of this misguided litigation campaign. Last March, the Bucks County Board of Commissioners joined a national effort to sue energy companies to make them pay for climate adaptation costs — costs that will ultimately fall on workers, families and businesses. This month, the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County is considering whether the suit can proceed. Allowing it to move forward would set a dangerous precedent.

This litigation is not about the law or sound climate policy — it’s about climate politics. The legal question before the court is whether Pennsylvania state law can be used to govern and impose liability on the production, promotion and sale of oil, gas and other energy sources worldwide. Courts in New York, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey have thrown out similar lawsuits, ruling that climate change raises federal, not state, issues. These lawsuits also raise climate policy matters meant for Congress and regulators, not lawyers and judges.

Read the full op-ed here.