A North Carolina town is suing utility giant Duke Energy, accusing the company of deceiving the public on climate change. It is the first U.S. lawsuit seeking climate accountability from an electric company.
The town of Carrboro announced Wednesday, Dec. 4, that it had filed the lawsuit. They argue the company’s actions led to a delay in addressing climate change, which in turn made fixing the problem more expensive.
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The lawsuit comes after a report last month from the nonprofit Energy and Policy Institute. Its report outlined the companies that would later merge into Duke Energy received repeated warnings over decades detailing the threat of carbon emissions to the global climate.
The report claims the companies knew about the potential for a climate crisis as far back as 1968. Plaintiffs from Carrboro argue Duke Energy broke five state laws with their actions, placing a burden on the town.
Duke Energy said Wednesday that it is reviewing the lawsuit. The company has publicly touted itself as a leader in what it describes as “cleaner energy solutions.”
Carrboro’s legal action is part of a growing trend of state and local governments suing private companies over climate change. Nine states have filed lawsuits against oil companies in an effort to hold them accountable for alleged deception on climate change.
