Media Coverage
Source: Texas Lawyer
Media Coverage
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Taina Rosa, Olivia Thomas
02.24.25
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with attorneys general from 21 other states and industry groups, has filed a lawsuit challenging New York’s recently enacted “Climate Superfund” law. The law requires the largest greenhouse gas-emitting companies to collectively contribute $75 billion into a fund designed to finance projects mitigating climate-related risks and recovering from extreme weather events in the state. The lawsuit is one of the first legal challenges to such laws, which are gaining traction in several states. Opponents argue that the legislation could impose substantial financial burdens on companies, potentially leading to shutdowns or increased costs for consumers.
According to Environmental & Natural Resources partner Ashleigh Myers, the suit against New York is one of the first major tests of Climate Superfund laws and could significantly influence similar legislative efforts across the country.
“New York actually started the trend,” Myers said. “They were the first to have introduced this kind of legislation, but Vermont beat them to the punch and passed their legislation first. There are talks that California is going to reinvigorate its prior efforts to adopt a similar law.”
She added that the New York legislation, like the version Vermont passed and other states have proposed, would specifically target major energy companies responsible for “over 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions” over a specified period. A key concern is that any financial penalties imposed could ultimately be passed on to energy consumers. As more states explore similar climate accountability measures, the outcome of this lawsuit will likely set an important legal precedent for future environmental legislation.
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