On June 20, 2011, the US Supreme Court ruled in the case of American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut, deciding that there is no standing for claims made under federal common law of nuisance relating to the contribution to climate by electric utilities. The case involved land trusts, power companies, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Previously, the Court had held that failure to comply with standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Clean Air Act (CAA) was illegal. In this case, the Obama administration sided with the power companies over the issues, while the Supreme Court concluded their involvement by stating that Congress designated an expert agency who could better decide issues of this type.



Learn more about climate change from the JURIST news archive.