American Electric Power Co., Inc. v. Connecticut

Holding: Holding: An equally divided Court affirmed the Second Circuit's exercise of jurisdiction; four members of the Court would hold that at least some plaintiffs have standing to bring the lawsuit. The Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency's implementation of the Act displace any federal common-law right to seek abatement of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel fired power plants. (Sotomayor, J., recused).

Judgment: Reversed and remanded, 8-0, in an opinion by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on June 20, 2011. Justice Alito filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, which was joined by Justice Thomas. (Sotomayor, J., recused).

Briefs and Documents

Merits Briefs

• Brief of Petitioners American Electric Inc. et al.
  
• Brief for the Tennessee Valley Authority as Respondent in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Respondents Connecticut, New York, California, Iowa, Rhode Island, Vermont, and The City of New York
• Reply Brief for Petitioners American Electric Inc. et al.
• Brief for Respondents Open Space Institute, Inc., Open Space Conservancy, Inc., and Audubon Society of New Hampshire
  

Amicus Briefs

• Brief for the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the National Association of Home Builders in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the Business Roundtable in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the Edison Electric Institute, American Public Power Association, and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the Association of Global Automakers, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, and the National Automobile Dealers Association in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Law Professors in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Consumer Energy Alliance, NATSO, Inc., American Trucking Associations, Petroleum Marketers Association of America, Energy Corporation, and International Liquid Terminals Association in Support of Petitioners
• Brief for CATO Institute in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Nicholas Johnson in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the American Chemistry Council, American Coatings Association, National Association of Manufacturers, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, and Public Nuisance Fairness Coalition in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the States of Indiana, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for American Petroleum Institute and National Petrochemical and Refiners Association in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center, American Tort Reform Association, and Croplife in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Chevron U.S.A. Inc., Shell Oil Company, ConocoPhillips, E.I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company, and Edison International in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Mining Association in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the Washington Legal Foundation in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the Pacific Legal Foundation in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for DRI—The Voice of the Defense Bar in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the Southeastern Legal Foundation, Inc., Ross McKitrick, Ph.D., Laurence I. Gould, Ph.D., and Patrick J. Michaels, Ph.D. in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Mountain States Legal Foundation in Support of Petitioners
• Brief of Representative Fred Upton, Representative Ed Whitfield, and Senator James M. Inhofe in Support of Petitioner

• Brief for Law Professors in Support of Respondent

• Brief for Allearth Renewables, Inc., Namasté Solar, Petersendean, Inc., Revision Energy, and Westinghouse Solar in Support of Respondent

• Brief for the States of North Carolina, Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts in Support of Respondents

• Brief for Defenders of Wildlife, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the National Wildlife Federation in Support of Respondent

• Brief for Environmental Law Professors in Support of Respondent

• Brief for Tort Law Scholars in Support of Respondent

• Brief for Unitarian Universalist Association; the Shalom Center; the Province of the Immaculate Conception of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception; the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good; the National Catholic Rural Life Conference; the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate; Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns; the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation; Interfaith Power and Light; General Synod of the United Church of Christ; the Franciscan Action Network; the Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach; and Church World Service in Support of Respondents and Urging Affirmance

• Brief for James G. Anderson, Ph.D., David Archer, Ph.D., David S. Battisti, Ph.D., Michael L. Bender, Ph.D., Mark A. Cane, Ph.D., Peter B. DeMenocal, Ph.D., Kerry A. Emanuel, Ph.D., Inez Y. Fung, Sc.D., Peter Huybers, Ph.D., Ralph F. Keeling, Ph.D., Mario J. Molina, Ph.D., Raymond T. Pierrehumbert, Ph.D., Daniel P. Schrag, Ph.D., and Steven C. Wofsy, Ph.D., in Support of Respondent

• Brief for the North Coast Rivers Alliance, Desert Protection Society, the California Sportsfishing Protection Alliance, and Klamath Forest Alliance in Support of Respondent

Certiorari-stage documents

• Opinion below (2d Circuit)
• Opinion below (2d Circuit)
• Petition for certiorari
• Brief in opposition (unavailable)
• Petitioners' reply (unavailable)
• Amicus brief for Unions for Jobs and the Environment (unavailable)
• Amicus brief for the Pacific Legal Foundation (unavailable)
• Amicus brief of the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, et al. (unavailable)
• Amicus brief for NATSO, Inc. (unavailable)
• Amicus brief for the American Chemistry Council, et al. (unavailable)
• Amicus brief for the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center, et al. (unavailable)
• Amicus brief for the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence
• Amicus brief for the Chamber of Commerce (unavailable)
• Amicus brief for the Edison Electric Institute, et al. (unavailable)
• Amicus brief of the American Farm Bureau Federation, et al. (unavailable)
• Amicus brief of law professors (unavailable)
• Amicus brief of states (unavailable)
• Amicus brief of the Cato Institute (unavailable)
• Amicus brief of the Mountain States Legal Foundation (unavailable)
• Amicus brief of the states of Indiana et al. (unavailable)
• Brief of respondent Tennessee Valley Authority (unavailable)