Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a federal lawsuit against Chevron, BP, Exxon Mobil, and Shell.
The suit alleges the companies used cartel-like practices to hinder competition from renewable energy and electric vehicles. These actions, the filing claims, led to inflated energy prices for consumers.
Nessel seeks unspecified financial compensation. The lawsuit also demands the forfeiture of profits derived from the alleged anti-competitive behaviors.
This litigation joins a larger trend of lawsuits filed by cities and states accusing fossil fuel corporations of illegal tactics to maintain market dominance. The American Petroleum Institute (API), a lobbying group also named in the suit, criticized the legal actions as an attack on the energy industry.