The lawsuit on behalf of 16 young people, who were between the ages of 2 and 18 when litigation began, makes the case that the state’s energy policies violates their rights.

The Montana case concerns the state’s environmental review processes giving permits to energy and other infrastructure projects. Specifically, the youth plaintiffs challenge a state law that bars the consideration of climate change impacts in this process. 

Their case invokes the state’s constitution, which gives residents the right to “a clean and healthful environment.”

The legal fight comes amid other attempts to sue on behalf of children regarding climate change, including at the federal level.

In 2015, a lawsuit — Juliana v. United States — was filed on behalf of 21 children, alleging the federal government had knowingly infringed up their constitutional rights by not adequately addressing climate change. The case was ultimately dismissed in 2020. 

Read more at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.