Judge Rejects Novel Climate Case Against North Carolina Utility

A first-of-its-kind climate lawsuit specifically challenging an energy utility was dismissed by a state judge in North Carolina, who called the claims against Duke Energy “clearly nonjusticiable.”

The town of Carrboro, N.C., sued that state’s dominant energy utility in 2024, looking to put the massive electric and natural gas company on the hook for climate damages exacerbated by its alleged misinformation about fossil fuels.

But Special Superior Court Judge Mark Davis, of the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division for Orange County, decided that this case is beyond ...