During the week of Nov. 25, Maine became the latest state to sue major fossil fuel companies over climate change. The Pine Tree State alleged the companies deceived the public about the effects fossil fuels had on the environment.
The state wants damages dating back to the 1960s. That’s when the state said the companies first learned about what fossil fuels could do to the climate. The state is also seeking money for climate adaptation.
“For over half a century, these companies chose to fuel profits instead of following their science to prevent what are now likely irreversible, catastrophic climate effects,” Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, a Democrat, said.
Maine is particularly dependent on oil for home heating. Over half of the state’s houses rely on oil over electricity or alternative fuels.
ExxonMobil raised that point in its response to the lawsuit.
“These baseless claims ignore the state’s historic dependence on oil and natural gas, do nothing to address the risks of climate change and waste taxpayer dollars,” a spokesperson said.
Maine joins eight other states, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia, who have pending climate lawsuits against oil companies.
However, many government-related climate lawsuits have struggled. New York tried a different legal approach with its suit against ExxonMobil in 2019. They said the company misled investors about climate-related costs and brought securities fraud charges. A judge threw that suit out.
The city of Baltimore also filed a lawsuit similar to what many states have filed. In July 2024, a state judge dismissed that suit. The judge ruled that state courts were not the place to settle the case. In addition, she concluded that Maryland’s laws didn’t have power over emissions that occurred outside the state.
