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The natural gas company at the center of the headline is NW Natural, an Oregon utility added to Multnomah County’s existing climate-liability lawsuit in October 2024. The county alleges that NW Natural and other defendants misled the public about fossil fuels’ climate risks, contributing to harm and costs associated with the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat event. Those claims have not been established in court.
Which natural gas company was sued?
It was NW Natural, named in the complaint as “NW NATURAL F.K.A. NORTHWEST NATURAL GAS COMPANY.” Multnomah County added the utility to County of Multnomah v. Exxon Mobil Corp. et al., an existing case in Oregon state court, Multnomah County Circuit Court No. 23CV25164. This was an expansion of a case against multiple fossil-fuel companies and related entities, not a separate lawsuit against NW Natural alone.
The “first” in the headline needs context: contemporaneous coverage and the Center for Climate Integrity described the amendment as the first known climate-deception lawsuit by a U.S. local government to name a gas utility. It does not mean NW Natural was the first fossil-fuel company ever sued over climate change.
What does Multnomah County allege?
In its second amended complaint, filed October 7, 2024, the county alleges that defendants promoted and sold fossil fuels while concealing or misrepresenting the climate risks. It argues that the alleged conduct contributed to climate-related harms and county costs, including consequences of the June 2021 Pacific Northwest heat event and reduced preparedness for such an event. These are the county’s claims, not findings by a judge.
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The complaint asserts public nuisance, negligence, fraud and deceit, and trespass. It asks for damages and equitable relief, including measures intended to address the alleged harms.
What the complaint says about the 2021 heat event
The county’s pleading says Multnomah County recorded three consecutive daily highs of 108°F, 112°F, and 116°F. It attributes 69 overheating deaths in the county to the event. That is the complaint’s figure; later public reporting used a different county total, so it should not be treated as an uncontested final count.
The complaint also cites attribution research concluding that the event would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change and was 150 times less likely in its absence. That is a research finding cited in the pleading—not a court ruling and not, by itself, proof that NW Natural or any other defendant is legally responsible.
How much money is the county seeking?
Multnomah County requests $51.55 billion in damages, along with equitable relief. That amount is the county’s demand in the 2024 complaint; it is not a judgment, an award, or a finding that the defendants owe that sum. The complaint describes the county’s claimed losses and requested remedies, while the defendants may dispute both liability and damages.
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What has NW Natural said?
NW Natural disputed the allegations after it was added to the case. In a statement reported by Futurism in October 2024, the company said: “We believe adding the company to the suit now, is an attempt to divert attention from legal and factual flaws in the case.” The statement reflects the company’s position at that time; it does not resolve the allegations.
What is known about the case’s procedural status?
The Climate Litigation Database record located for this article lists motion-related filings through June 15, 2026. It also records that Multnomah County voluntarily dismissed Marathon Petroleum from the case with prejudice on June 5, 2026. A tracker is useful for following filings and party changes, but it is not a substitute for the complete official court docket or a decision on the merits.
Those dated entries do not establish the case’s exact status on October 7, 2026, and the available record does not verify later docket activity. The allegations against NW Natural therefore should not be described as proven or as having been finally resolved on the basis of that tracker snapshot.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the lawsuit matters beyond one utility
The amendment is notable because it brought a gas utility into a local government’s climate-deception case alongside oil and gas producers, trade groups, and other entities. The legal question is not simply whether fossil fuels contribute to climate change; the county’s claims also concern alleged promotion or concealment of climate risks, causation, the county’s losses, and what remedies a court may grant. Each of those issues remains for litigation rather than being settled by the complaint itself.
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