On April 19, 2011, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments regarding whether electric utilities contributed to global warming in the case of American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut. The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit had ruled in the same case that states can sue power companies for emitting carbon dioxide. The lawsuit was brought by eight states and three land trusts against various coal-burning utilities, including American Electric Power (AEP). During oral arguments, the Court appeared skeptical of the state's claims, implying that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would be better equipped to deal with emissions standards. In June 2011, the Court ultimately overturned the holding of the Second Circuit "for ruling that federal judges may set limits on greenhouse gas emissions in the face of a law empowering EPA to set the same limits."



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