HEADLINE: “Bucks County Democrats Up to Even More Dirty Tricks with Their Climate Lawsuit That's Going Nowhere” By THOMAS J SHEPSTONE
“Bucks County, Pennsylvania, has become a complete joke under the current Democrat majority on the County Board of Commissioners. They’ve been pursuing a profoundly silly climate for some time now.”
Bucks County Democrats Up to Even More Dirty Tricks with Their Climate Lawsuit That's Going Nowhere
APR 06, 2025
Bucks County, Pennsylvania, has become a complete joke under the current Democrat majority on the County Board of Commissioners. They’ve been pursuing a profoundly silly climate for some time now. Their Republican colleague initially went along but soon saw the light and reversed his position. Then, there were those 2024 election shenanigans the two Democrats tried to pull.
Now, there’s this, courtesy of our friends and former colleagues at Energy In Depth:
Bucks County commissioners may have thought they were pulling a fast one in filing a climate lawsuit against energy producers without public input last year, but a Pennsylvania judge just ripped down the curtain on their climate lawsuit stunt.
In oral arguments yesterday, Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Stephen Corr called out the county’s backroom tactics, blasting their legal end-run against oil and gas companies as “sneaky” and—as EID Climate raisedwhen the suit was initially filed—lacking transparency.
Lack of public oversight is just the tip of the iceberg of issues facing the climate litigation campaign, a movement already in free fall after facing a spate of dismissals in recent months. Lawsuits brought by Baltimore, New York City, Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, MD and New Jersey failed to advance past the motion to dismiss phase—casting doubt on the future of Bucks County’s case.
Déjà vu: Bucks County’s War on Transparency
This lawsuit, which takes aim at energy producers in the nation’s second largest gas-producing state, was quietly approved behind closed doors before its filing in March 2024: meaning no public discussion, no debate, no transparency – a move labeled as “sneaky” by Judge Corr:
“How can the public ask an intelligent question? You go out there and tout transparency…Why are you hiding this?…It’s a sneaky way of doing it.”
These questions echo ones asked by EID Climate at the time of the case’s filing. County officials skirted public scrutiny by rushing through a contractwith private law firm DiCello Levitt to file this lawsuit. The commissioners never even held a public meeting before suing, raising serious questions about whether they violated Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act.
Judge Corr also pointed out that instead of openly debating the lawsuit, the commissioners approved it through a consent agenda – a procedural move usually reserved for routine, uncontroversial matters, like approving meeting minutes or buying office supplies.
This lawsuit, by contrast, is a multi-million-dollar climate liability case against some of the largest energy companies in the world. Not exactly a minor bureaucratic footnote.
Bucks County’s Hypocrisy: Fossil Fuels for Me, But Not for Thee
If Bucks County commissioners are so concerned about climate change, maybe they should take a hard look in the mirror: This is the same county government that relies heavily on gasoline-powered vehicles, heats its buildings with natural gas and benefits from the Impact Fees levied on natural gas production in the state. Bucks County has received over $6.7 million in tax revenues by the industry since 2012, according to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC).
Yet they’re more than happy to demonize the very industry that powers their daily lives and provides funds earmarked for infrastructure improvements, flood mitigation and economic development across the County.
And let’s not forget: Pennsylvania is one of the nation’s top energy-producing states. Suing the industry that provides jobs, tax revenue and affordable energy to local residents isn’t just hypocritical, it’s reckless.
As Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association President & CEO Dave Taylor, and Manufacturers’ Accountability Project Special Counsel Phil Goldberg wrote in the Bucks County Herald last week:
“Manufacturers in Pennsylvania and across the country are setting an example for the world, investing in cleaner, more efficient operations and cutting emissions while keeping energy reliable and affordable. Instead of chasing political lawsuits that increase costs and threaten jobs, our leaders should focus on real solutions that strengthen American leadership on climate, protect our energy future, and keep U.S. manufacturing competitive. The stakes are too high—Pennsylvanians deserve better.” (emphasis added)
Bottom Line: Bucks County’s Political Stunt Deserves to be Thrown Out
Judge Corr’s rebuke of this “sneaky” lawsuit should serve as a wake-up call. This case was crafted in secrecy, pushed through without public input and is part of a larger activist playbook that weaponizes climate lawfare for political gain.
Bucks County’s commissioners may have thought they could quietly advance their anti-energy agenda without anyone noticing. But now that the spotlight is on, it’s clear: This lawsuit deserves to be dismissed just like the credibility of those who tried to sneak it past the public.
Editor’s Note: Interestingly, Bucks County is home to part of the South Newark Formation, which may be trapping hundreds of billions of cubic feet of shale gas. I say it should be developed so these elitist pols can have some energy independence from the rest of us.
#Pennsylvania #Commissioners #Climate #Lawsuit #BucksCounty
BOTTOMLINE: “And let’s not forget: Pennsylvania is one of the nation’s top energy-producing states. Suing the industry that provides jobs, tax revenue and affordable energy to local residents isn’t just hypocritical, it’s reckless.”
The left is delusional…