Judge Rejects Michigan’s Antitrust Suit Against Oil Giants Over Climate-Related Costs

In a Tuesday ruling, U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering threw out the antitrust case filed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel against BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and the American Petroleum Institute. The lawsuit claimed the companies colluded to block renewable energy and keep fossil-fuel prices high, seeking damages for overcharged energy, higher insurance premiums and depressed home values. Beckering concluded that Michigan could not prove a direct causal link and that the damages calculations were speculative, citing precedent that federal antitrust law does not cover broad economic harms.

She noted that only a single antitrust injury—potential overcharges for state-purchased power—might be viable, but even that was outweighed by the indirect nature of the alleged injury. The dismissal follows a wave of courts rejecting climate-related suits and comes weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court hears a major climate-liability case involving Colorado municipalities and oil companies.