Alabama Leads 25‑State Coalition To Dismiss Maryland Climate Lawsuits
States argue Maryland cannot regulate global energy production
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is spearheading a 25‑state coalition in filing a brief with the Maryland Supreme Court, urging dismissal of three lawsuits brought by Baltimore, Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. The suits target oil and gas companies, seeking to impose liability based on greenhouse‑gas emissions and resulting climate impacts.
The local governments contend that fossil‑fuel firms misled consumers about the dangers of their products under Maryland’s consumer‑protection statutes. However, AG Marshall’s alliance argues this demand seeks to regulate global energy production—something Maryland law cannot constitutionally impose on Alabama or other sovereign states.
“Maryland law cannot control energy production and environmental policies in Alabama,” Marshall said. “Baltimore’s concerns about emissions cross state lines, creating a federal issue that must be resolved federally, not by cities and counties seeking to line their pockets. One State or local government cannot impose its environmental agenda on any other State as a matter of constitutional law. These cases must be dismissed.”
The coalition highlights how the suit conflicts with federalism: state courts lack jurisdiction to settle disputes over interstate or global emissions, Marshall said. “Attempts to regulate the global atmosphere invade the basic power of every other state to regulate for the health and wellbeing of their own citizens.”
Marshall’s filing echoes a similar effort launched in March 2025, when he led 19 Republican Attorneys General—including those from Alaska, Florida and Texas—in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block climate change litigation from California and other States
In early June, the affected Maryland municipalities took the case to their State high court after trial courts dismissed their suits—citing federal preemption and improper overreach. The state Supreme Court granted review on April 24, 2025, focusing on whether federal law precludes state actions for injuries tied to GHG emissions.
AG Marshall’s current effort expands the coalition to 25 states (Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Wyoming) in urging Maryland’s court to reject the lawsuits.
If the Maryland Supreme Court allows the cases to proceed, it could set a dangerous precedent—permitting city and county courts to assert control over energy and environmental policy far beyond their borders. The coalition asserts true regulation of national energy policy falls under Congress and federal agencies, not local judicial processes.
