Two forthcoming events will cover what insights were gained from the opening case of the Supreme Court’s current term.
Early today, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, where fossil-fuel producers urge the Court to determine that all state-law tort claims seeking damages tied to climate change are preempted. If the Court takes up the merits, its ruling could carry significant implications for environmental law, climate policy, and the dynamics of federalism in the United States.
I am slated to participate in two discussions analyzing the Suncor oral argument.
On Friday, October 9, I will speak about the case at the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Carey Law School. The session, “Discussing the Scope of Preemption in Emissions Lawsuits,” will also feature James Goodwin from the Center for Progressive Reform and is organized by the law school’s Environmental Law Project as part of Penn’s Climate Week.
On Tuesday, October 13, I will again discuss the Suncor argument at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. The program, “Hot Times at the High Court: Suncor v. Boulder County and the Future of Climate Litigation,” will be conducted as a webinar (with an in-person audience available as well). It will include Professor Paul Salamanca of the University of Kentucky. Registration information is available here.
For additional background on the case, here are (some of) my posts on the subject (with more to come):
- Climate Change Returns to the Supreme Court — Colorado Edition, February 23, 2026.
- A Preview of Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, March 6, 2026.
- Amicus Brief in Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, August 3, 2026.
- The Supreme Court Term Begins with Heat, August 6, 2026.
- As Suncor Approaches, Justice Alito Recuses, September 28, 2026.
