Under Joe Biden, filing lawsuits against energy producers and accusing them of harming the environment was cool. Under Donald J. Trump’s America First energy policy, not so much.

The “David vs. Goliath” narrative has collapsed on the altar of proof. What had been sold to the public and policymakers as a righteous battle on behalf of the voiceless has been exposed as a series of coordinated political stunts driven by activist law firms, dark-money donors, and operatives looking to have left-leaning judges formulate American energy policy from the bench.

On June 25, a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing led by Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz investigated the various outside entities perpetuating these lawsuits, including the San Francisco-based plaintiffs’ firm Sher Edling LLP and the Environmental Law Institute.

Critics say these groups aren’t interested in pursuing justice or protecting the environment. Instead, they’re shaking down the energy industry using the threat of billion-dollar damages to bring about extreme policy changes that voters and lawmakers have both rejected.

These lawsuits needlessly clog the courts, so a growing number of state and federal judges are starting to slam the doors on them.

In the past few months, judges in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have dismissed climate lawsuits as being outside........

© Yuma Sun