Overview
- The Court set oral argument in Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County for Oct. 5, 2026, as the first case of the new term.
- At issue is whether federal law, including the Clean Air Act and federal common law, preempts state-law claims seeking damages for harms tied to greenhouse-gas emissions.
- The justices also added a separate question about whether the Court has statutory and Article III jurisdiction to hear this interlocutory appeal before a final state-court judgment.
- The U.S. Department of Justice filed a pro-petitioner brief arguing for preemption, while more than 70 amici filings from politicians, trade groups, environmental groups and municipalities press opposing views.
- A ruling could halt or clear roughly 40 pending local and state climate suits, affect multibillion-dollar liability exposure for fossil-fuel companies, and reshape how state courts handle interstate environmental harms.