California’s Climate Lawsuit Ignores Energy Reality

In an opinion editorial in the California Globe, Bruce Kranz, former Placer County Supervisor and Colfax City Manager, notes that California’s latest lawsuit against major energy companies may sound like a bold step toward fighting climate change, but it ignores the state’s real energy problems.

Kranz argues that California’s leaders are dealing with an energy crisis of their own making by raising gas prices, hurting working families, and making the state more dependent on foreign oil.

He points out that California already has some of the highest gas prices in the nation, much of which is due to the state’s own taxes and regulations, adding roughly 70 cents to $1.50 per gallon. On top of that, new proposals would force energy producers to pay millions into a state “climate superfund,” driving costs up even higher.

Does California have the legal authority to take oil companies to court for global climate impacts? Kranz notes that similar lawsuits in states like New York, New Jersey, and Maryland have been dismissed, with judges saying that global emissions can’t be blamed on any one company or state. You cannot just blame domestic oil producers.

Kranz highlights CIPA’s points about energy security. As California shuts down local production, it’s importing more oil from countries like Iraq, Guyana, and Brazil – places that produce oil with a larger carbon footprint than U.S. operations.

Kranz warns that California’s lawsuit is less about solving climate change and more about politics. By targeting domestic oil producers, he says, the state is risking jobs, higher energy prices, and greater reliance on countries that pollute more and care less about environmental standards.