Growing list of lawsuits against fossil fuel companies now includes a suit by the Attorney General of Michigan.
Particularly relevant in that, due in part to the propaganda from fossil fuel interests, the Detroit Auto industry is now at existential risk due to the postponement and suppression of EV technology.
The state of Michigan is suing major oil companies and an industry association, alleging that they colluded to hamper the adoption of renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs).
In a lawsuit announced Friday, Michigan sued BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and the American Petroleum Institute.
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I’ve documented the activities of fossil fuel trained activists across the state over several years. They have been effective in disinforming local citizens and shutting down clean energy projects.
State Attorney General Dana Nessel is suing four big oil companies under antitrust laws, alleging a decades-long conspiracy to undermine the adoption of renewable energy and electric vehicles that has led Michiganders to face higher energy costs and greater exposure to climate change.
The lawsuit against Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP and Shell, plus their industry association the American Petroleum Institute was filed Friday morning, Jan. 23, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, an attorney general’s spokesperson said. The filing makes Michigan the latest Democrat-led state to go after big oil companies.
The lawsuit accuses the oil companies of taking part in a conspiracy to suppress competition from renewable energy that began in 1979, when an Exxon internal report predicted catastrophic global warming without a major switch to renewables, and said the conspiracy continues today. The filing alleges violation of the Michigan Antitrust Reform Act as well as the federal Sherman and Clayton Antitrust acts.
The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of triple damages, tied to what state government and Michigan consumers have overpaid for energy since 2022, as well as a disgorgement of corporate profits.
The lawsuit contends that if not for the conspiracy, Michigan would be further along in transitioning away from fossil fuels and toward a greener economy, residents would be driving more EV vehicles and the United States wouldn’t be playing catch-up to China in new energy technologies.
I do wonder how much of the whining on the part of the automakers about how hard it was to implement fuel economy standards was backed up by the oil industry.