Reuters reported that nine oil companies, including Exxon, Chevron, and Shell, may face a lawsuit in Puerto Rico based on an accusation that they suppressed clean energy initiatives and misled the public about the dangers of the changing climate.
The preliminary ruling came down from U.S. Magistrate Judge Héctor Ramos-Vega in San Juan in February 2025. The next step is the federal court.
Back in 2022, the 16 municipalities in Puerto Rico filed a federal lawsuit against a dozen dirty fuel companies, accusing them of a "fraudulent marketing scheme" to convince people that their products had no effect on climate-related weather events — like the deadly Hurricanes Maria and Irma that ravaged the island, reported Reuters.
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Sounds great 👍 However, Puerto Rico isn't the only one taking action against the organized deception from these companies that contrasts scientific data of rising heat and the increasing presence of larger and more devastating weather events linked to a warming planet. In a similar move, Honolulu, Hawai'i, filed a lawsuit against these companies. While the companies tried to stop the lawsuit, the U.S. Supreme Court declined their bid to do so.
The lawyer for the Puerto Rican plaintiffs, Marc Grossman, said, according to Reuters, "Major victory for climate accountability. Such accountability is vital for everyone to understand how abusing the planet's resources is having devastating consequences."
Reuters also reported these municipalities said, "Hurricanes Irma and Maria contributed to an estimated 4,600 deaths and the failure of critical infrastructure in Puerto Rico."
2024 was noted for devastating and record-breaking weather events in the continental United States as well. The country had its warmest year in 130 years (an average temperature of 55.5 degrees Fahrenheit — 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit above average) and an above-average hurricane season of 18 named tropical cyclones and landfalling hurricanes, including Hurricane Helene — the second highest annual disaster in the 45-year record, per National Centers for Environmental Information.
By taking clean energy technology more seriously and setting legal precedents that protect them, everyone can contribute to cooling down the planet. A conversion to electric vehicles, installing heat pumps that cool and heat homes by transferring existing heat, solar panels, and induction stoves in the home can all help.
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, people can get tax credits and rebates by making such upgrades. You can also check your state for non-cost energy assessments and online tools from non-profits like Rewiring America.
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