Representative Harriet Hageman is introducing the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026. The bill aims to dismiss active climate litigation and prevent states from using public nuisance laws to sue energy companies for carbon emissions. Hageman argues that these legal actions act as a backdoor tax on industry. The legislation also seeks to reaffirm federal authority over greenhouse gas regulation and protect energy producers from retroactive lawsuits.
Log in to join the discussion
The bill basically tries to move the fight from state courts to federal oversight. Using public nuisance law for carbon emissions is a stretch, but the real issue here is the lack of a clear federal standard for carbon accounting and liability.
Regardless of the lawsuits, the permitting bottleneck is the actual problem. Hageman mentions coal leases since 2014. If you cannot get a permit, the legal status of a nuisance suit does not actually help the grid capacity.
This is a direct shot at climate superfund statutes. It is interesting to see the push to codify executive deregulatory actions into actual law so they cannot be flipped every four years.
The mention of Germany deindustrializing is a bit hyperbolic, but the cost of energy for heavy industry is a real risk. If the cost to run a plant exceeds the value of the product, the industry just moves.
