LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan’s Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel is planning to take on the energy industry with a vengeance in a move that could cripple the state’s oil and gas sector through aggressive climate change litigation. Partnering with three private law firms, Nessel is gearing up to sue fossil fuel companies for their alleged role in contributing to climate change.

While the Attorney General’s office might think it’s going to win a victory for the environment, critics argue that these lawsuits will be nothing more than activist-driven attacks that will hurt the very people Nessel claims to protect: Michigan’s workers and consumers. What is unclear is who exactly the defendants are because lawsuits haven’t been filed yet.

High-priced law firms with a hidden agenda?

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Michigan Capitol Confidential has reported, based on confirmation from Nessel’s Press Secretary Danny Wimmer, that AG Nessel has selected three law firms known for their environmental activism to lead the charge – Sher Edling LLP, DiCello Levitt LLP, and Hausfeld LLP.

These firms boast experience in suing corporations for environmental issues but their track records show a concerning alignment with radical activist groups. Sher Edling, in particular, is infamous for its involvement in more than 20 lawsuits aimed at dismantling the fossil fuel industry according to a memo from the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and a U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

Due to the terms in the state’s contracts with these law firms, which run until the end of September 2027, the firms have a strong incentive to aggressively target oil and gas companies. Their payday hinges on securing substantial victories, driving them to chase massive judgments that ultimately line their own pockets.

Michigan’s working-class will pay the price.

While the law firms and Nessel can claim that any lawsuits are about holding polluters accountable, critics argue it’s Michigan’s energy workers and consumers who will ultimately bear the brunt of the fallout. Jason Hayes, director of energy and environmental policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, warns that customers and employees of these companies will be the real victims.

“A.G. Nessel’s irresponsible climate litigation only harms the working people who make up the state’s oil and gas industry,” Hayes said to Michigan Capitol Confidential, noting that the lawsuit could lead to higher energy prices, job losses, and decreased energy reliability across Michigan.

At a time when Michiganders are struggling with economic challenges and skyrocketing costs, Nessel’s attack on the oil and gas sector could feel like a slap in the face to those relying on affordable, reliable energy. Instead of supporting a common-sense, workable, and sustainable energy policy for the state, Nessel’s war on Michigan’s energy industry seems poised to make life harder for working families and businesses statewide

Lawsuits align with climate change agenda of Gov. Whitmer and the Democrats.

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Michigan Democrats aim to transition the state’s energy grid to be fully powered by clean energy sources – such as wind, solar, and other renewables – by 2040. Their agenda includes phasing out coal plants, significantly cutting the use of natural gas, and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Additionally, they advocate for “environmental justice” as part of their green energy strategy.

To that end, lawsuits against fossil fuel companies are essential to achieving their clean energy and climate goals. By holding oil and gas companies accountable for their alleged role in climate change, not only could they potentially shut down energy sources they don’t support, the Democrats who run Michigan could also end up shifting the cost of environmental “damage” away from taxpayers and onto the corporations that profited from fossil fuel extraction, helping to fund the state’s transition to renewable energy.