In a Supreme Court docket stuffed with blockbuster cases, it has been easy to miss the news about a dispute with a puzzling line-up of litigants: a deep-red, energy-rich state — Louisiana — suing the very energy producers that have been central drivers of the state and national economy.

This case, and other similar ones, are not just legally dubious — they could also harm the country’s efforts to meet our growing energy challenges.

At the outset of World War II, the U.S. government recognized that oil was going to be a key to victory. Partnering with industry, Uncle Sam entered into numerous contracts for the production of crude oil. Much of that activity happened in Louisiana, and since the war ended the energy production in the state has only continued to expand.

Companies, acting with valid state and federal permits, have built a sprawling system of offshore production, pipelines and terminals. The state now ranks third in natural gas production, has one-sixth of the nation’s refining capacity and is home to a growing liquefied natural gas export capacity.

But starting in 2013, over 40 Louisiana parishes filed lawsuits against the companies. They claimed that decades of oil and gas activity accelerated coastal land loss, and they are seeking billions of dollars in damages. This spring,

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