Cities and counties suing energy producers for climate change are not “sophisticated litigants” and risk losing a substantial amount of any potential payouts to their attorneys’ fees, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said earlier this month. The attorney general’s comments raise key questions and concerns about the municipalities’ motivations and the effectiveness of their actions.

In a discussion hosted by the Federalist Society, titled “Consequences of Municipal Litigation,” Attorney General Yost and Tennessee Deputy Attorney General Jonathan Thomas Skrmetti explained the flaws that characterize the ongoing climate change lawsuits targeting energy companies. Both agreed the cities and counties filing these lawsuits are stretching tort law beyond its reasonable limits, making these cases highly novel and ultimately unlikely to be successful.

Read More at EIDClimate.org.