On April 16, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman stayed California's consolidated climate lawsuits against major oil companies, calling a pause in "the interests of justice" while the Supreme Court decides Suncor v. Boulder County. That case, argued in October with a decision expected by mid-2027, will determine whether federal law preempts state-law climate damages claims altogether. Eight California plaintiffs, from the state attorney general to the city of Imperial Beach, are now waiting.
They are not alone. The Columbia Sabin Center tracks more than 30 pending climate cases against energy companies nationwide. Courts hearing them, the Center warned in February, "may be reticent to delve into preemption questions" until the justices rule. Fossil fuel defendants will push for delays in every one. The procedural routes differ by state, but the result is converging: suspension, likely for a year or longer.
The coastlines eroding, the marshes drowning, the infrastructure flooding. None of that has a stay.