Small North Carolina Town Sues Utility Duke Energy Over Climate Change

In a groundbreaking move, a small town in North Carolina has filed the nation’s first-ever climate accountability lawsuit against an electric utility.

Carrboro, North Carolina, officially launched the lawsuit on Wednesday morning, accusing Duke Energy of running a “deception campaign” to downplay the climate dangers of fossil fuels. The lawsuit argues that these efforts delayed crucial action to reduce planet-heating pollution, ultimately escalating the cost of climate action today.

“When you’re dealing with something like the existential threat of climate change, that requires us to make bold moves,” said Carrboro’s Mayor, Barbara Foushee, who played a key role in bringing the lawsuit forward.