The State of Michigan is bringing a lawsuit against BP, which is alleging it conspired with other oil companies to suppress renewable energy and electric vehicles.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a federal antitrust lawsuit last week against BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Shell and the American Petroleum Institute, alleging they violated state and federal antitrust laws by colluding against competition to fossil fuels. The lawsuit alleges the oil companies caused Michigan residents to suffer high energy and transportation costs by suppressing energy alternatives, contributing to a worsening energy affordability crisis.
A BP spokesman declined to comment, saying the company did not comment on pending litigation.
Over a decade later, the antitrust lawsuit came after the Michigan attorney general's office opened an investigation into whether the BP Whiting Refinery was causing gas prices to spike in the state.
In a statement from the Attorney General’s office it said, The suit alleges that BP and other energy companies "acted as a cartel in an unlawful conspiracy in restraint of trade to forestall meaningful competition from renewable energy in order to maintain their dominance in the transportation energy market and primary energy markets in Michigan and nationally in order to reap windfall, and illegal, profits.”
The lawsuit charges the oil companies with abandoning renewable energy, hindering market competition with litigation and patent manipulation, suppressing information on the costs of fossil fuels and viable alternatives, surveilled and intimidating watchdogs and public officials and working to divert capital away from renewable energy.
