The Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments from oil and gas companies trying to block climate change lawsuits

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damages linked to climate change.

The majority-conservative court agreed to hear a case from Boulder, Colorado, one of several lawsuits alleging that companies deceived the public about how fossil fuels contributed to climate change.

Governments across the country have sought compensation totaling billions of dollars, arguing that it is necessary to help pay for rebuilding after wildfires, rising sea levels and severe storms made worse by climate change. The lawsuits come amid a wave of legal action in states including California, Hawaii, New Jersey and around the world seeking to take advantage of the process through the courts.

The case out of Boulder County likely has implications for those other lawsuits.

Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil appealed to the Supreme Court after the Colorado Supreme Court allowed the Boulder case to proceed. The companies say emissions are a national issue that should be heard in federal court, where similar lawsuits have been dropped.

“Using state law to address global climate change represents a serious threat to one of our nation’s most important sectors,” the lawyers wrote.

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President Donald Trump’s administration stepped in to support the companies and urged the justices to overturn the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision, saying it meant “every district in the country could sue basically anyone in the world for contributing to global climate change.”

Trump, a Republican, criticized the lawsuits in an executive order, and the Justice Department sought to head off some of them in court.

Boulder lawyers said the lawsuit is still in its early stages and should remain in state court. “There is no constitutional bar that prevents states from redressing damages within the state caused by out-of-state conduct, whether that be the negligent design of an automobile or the sale of asbestos,” they wrote.

City officials said the case is about dealing with problems people face in Colorado. “Our issue is fundamentally about justice,” said Jonathan Cohen, the organization’s director of climate initiatives. “Boulder is already suffering the effects of a rapidly warming climate, and the financial burden of adaptation should not fall solely on local taxpayers.”

The Supreme Court also asked both sides to submit arguments on whether the case is actually ready to be heard by the justices. Arguments are expected in the fall.