In a First, a Gas Utility Is Sued Over Its Role in Global Warming

Oregon officials have added the state’s largest natural gas utility as a defendant in their $50 billion lawsuit against fossil fuel companies over their contribution to climate change.The suit — the first to make climate-related deception claims against a utility, experts said — alleges that the company, NW Natural, knew that the burning of natural gas contributed to global warming, but misled its customers about the consequences.It is an expansion of a lawsuit that was first filed last year by Multnomah County, which includes Portland.The complaint alleges that Exxon, Shell and other companies, now including NW Natural, had schemed to “rapaciously” sell fossil fuel products and cover up what they knew about the risks to the planet, and that the companies bear responsibility for the effects of climate change including a deadly heat wave in 2021 that killed at least 69 county residents.Experts said the addition of NW Natural to the amended lawsuit on Monday was the first instance of a gas utility being named as a plaintiff in a case like this.

Overall there are about two dozen lawsuits by state and local governments alleging that oil companies covered up the dangers of climate change.Alyssa Johl, vice president of legal and general counsel at the nonprofit advocacy group the Center for Climate Integrity, said that gas utilities had been “significant players in the historic and ongoing deception campaigns to mislead the public about the dangers of fossil fuels.”NW Natural said Wednesday that it had not received the complaint, though it was aware of reports that it had been added to the lawsuit.“We believe adding the company to the suit now is an attempt to divert attention from legal and factual flaws in the case.

NW Natural will vigorously contest the County’s claims should they come to court,” the company said in a statement.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your...