Oregon’s most populous county adds gas utility to $51B climate suit against fossil fuel companies

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s Multnomah County, home to Portland, has added the state’s largest natural gas utility to its $51.5 billion climate lawsuit against fossil fuel companies. The lawsuit, filed last year, accuses the companies’ carbon emissions of being a cause of the region’s deadly heat-dome event in 2021. It also accuses the companies of deceptively promoting fossil fuels as harmless. According to the Center for Climate Integrity, it is the first time a gas utility has been named in a so-called climate deception lawsuit. NW Natural said it can’t comment in detail until it has completed reviewing the claims, but the company added that it will contest them should they come to court.