City takes bold strides in major lawsuit against leading oil companies: 'Very significant'
Honolulu is making waves, but this time, it's in court. The Associated Press reported (via Daily Breeze) that the city and county are moving ahead with a lawsuit against some of the world's biggest oil companies, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell.
Though a trial is still a long way off, the case is more advanced than 30 similar nationwide lawsuits and could set the tone for how courts hold polluters accountable.
The suit claims that the oil companies misled the public about the risks of dirty energy sources. Since these are widely used across the world, they have contributed to rising sea levels and more extreme weather.
The city argues that pollution created largely through the burning of dirty energy sources such as oil and gas has burdened taxpayers and local infrastructure.
Hawai'i has experienced firsthand the effects of the warming planet. Human-caused pollution overheats Earth, melts glaciers, and expands ocean water.
According to the Hawaiian government, coastal erosion is forcing residents to retreat inland, while severe flooding is putting pressure on emergency response systems and aging infrastructure.
While the challenge is great, there's movement in the right direction. This legal action seeks damages, which could fund climate adaptation efforts, such as upgraded infrastructure and protections for vulnerable communities.
This legal strategy is gaining traction. Other cities across the United States have filed similar suits.
National policies including the Inflation Reduction Act and local climate resilience plans are helping cities transition away from dirty energy while preparing for the effects of extreme weather.
While the legal battle is far from over, Honolulu's case marks a step in the global effort to hold major polluters accountable. Michael Gerrard, the founder and faculty director of the Columbia University Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, identified the lawsuit as pivotal.
"The first trial in any of these cases will be very significant," said Gerrard, per the AP. "It will get a large amount of nationwide or even global attention because the oil companies have not yet had to take the stand and defend themselves in a trial."
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Floodlight found the website for Imola - named after the Italian city where Tazzari EVs are made - is no longer accessible without a password. A search of the Tazzari website found no mention of plants in the United States. But a 2024 version of the Imola site mentions the tiny vehicles "coming soon to America." In early 2024, Imola Automotive USA and the Tazzari Group - an Italian firm best known for its electric two-seater micro cars - jointly announced plans for a partnership. The EVs that Tazzari makes in Italy aren't designed for highway driving. Top speed on the company's Opensky Sport model is about 56 miles per hour, while maximum speed on the Opensky Limited is about 37 mph, according to the company's webpage. Tazzari didn't respond to email messages from a Floodlight reporter. Henry said at that time that the company chose Langston and Fort Valley because of their universities. "Both of these locations are ideal," he said in the January 2024 news release, "as their proximity to communities with institutions of higher learning, will allow residents and students career opportunities in the fast growing EV Technology and Innovation Industry." Many local officials in Fort Valley, Langston and Pine Bluff did not respond to interview requests. Few documents were provided in response to Floodlight's public records requests. But it's clear from available records that Imola's promises stirred hope. Langston Mayor Michael Boyles called the proposal "transformative" in a January 2024 news release. But some local leaders soon began to question the details. Erica Johnson, a real estate agent and former member of Langston's economic development commission, said parts of the plan didn't add up. How, for instance, would the company house more than 1,000 workers in such a small town? And how were they going to build such a large plant on land without utilities or water? Her doubts deepened when she learned that Imola wanted to lock down land agreements without putting up any earnest money. "My early feeling was that, 'Something is not quite okay with this,' " she said. "But I think the hope for our community kind of outweighed the ability to just take things slow and look at them for where they are and what they are - versus where you hope them to be." Eventually, the promise fizzled. "It was disappointing," Johnson said. "...We could have had our energy and time focused on something that seemed more valid and more substantial." Still waiting for the shovels Some residents in Fort Valley are still holding out hope. Mayor Jeffery Lundy said early last year that it was a "priority for my administration to land a company like Imola Automotive USA." Local officials, he said, were looking forward to the economic boost the plant would bring. At the time, Imola claimed it would break ground on a 195-acre site by the third quarter of 2024 and open the plant within 20 months, according to a report in the Macon Telegraph. During a February 2024 town hall meeting, Imola officials told residents that the plant would pay employees an average of $45 an hour, according to a Facebook post. Commenters buzzed with excitement, with one writing: "Application me !!!!" Pettus told a local TV station that most jobs would require only a high school diploma. In early 2024, Fort Valley rezoned land to accommodate the plant, and the city council signed off on the deal. But more than 15 months later, there's still no sign of construction. Council members were told that Georgia Power couldn't provide sufficient power for the EV company, according to minutes of their March 2025 meeting. A spokesman for Georgia Power said that while the utility doesn't discuss economic development projects, "We're prepared and ready to meet the energy needs of any new customer." Makita Driver, one of the Facebook commenters who'd voiced excitement about the proposed EV plant, said there's no doubt she would have applied for one of the jobs there - had the facility ever been built. "The pay rate was really what got my attention," she said. As a medical assistant, Driver said she earns far less than what Imola had promised. But she eventually concluded the promises were too good to be true. "Who really makes that kind of money starting out?" she asked. In a brief interview with Floodlight on July 11, Mayor Lundy said he's still in contact with Henry. "We are patiently waiting for that groundbreaking," Lundy said. Floodlight is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the powers stalling climate action. This story was produced by Floodlight and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. © Stacker Media, LLC.
