James Taylor, President of The Heartland Institute, has expressed strong support for $666.8 million in damages awarded to Energy Transfer in its lawsuit against Greenpeace for the organization's role in fueling protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016 and 2017.
The March 19 verdict, handed down by a Morton County, North Dakota jury, stems from Greenpeace’s role in the protests, which Energy Transfer argued caused significant delays and financial harm to the project.
“This is fantastic news,” Taylor told Legal Newsline. “Hooligan vandals should not get a free pass for their lawbreaking aggression merely by saying they are doing it on behalf of Mother Earth. Greenpeace’s involvement as ringleaders for such activity is well-deserving of the damages the jury awarded.”
The Heartland Institute, which advocates for free markets and limited government, has been a vocal critic of anti-energy movements.
Many, including Taylor, view the case as a critical moment in holding activist groups responsible for their role in illegal activities.
“I hope and suspect that activist groups will think twice in the future about engaging in similar vandalaous and unlawful activity,” he said.
Taylor is the founding director of the Heartland Institute’s Arthur B. Robinson Center for Climate and Environmental Policy. He has extensive experience presenting energy and environmental analysis across major U.S. television networks and at international conferences and is also the former managing editor of Environment & Climate News and columnist for Forbes.
Taylor’s remarks came after a contentious trial in which Energy Transfer accused Greenpeace of encouraging violent and disruptive protests that delayed the pipeline's construction and resulted in lost business opportunities.
The landmark ruling awarded Energy Transfer the damages against Greenpeace, accusing the environmental group of trespass, nuisance and defamation.
Energy Transfer argued that the protests, which sometimes involved violence and property damage, caused it to miss a crucial production deadline, threatening its business contracts. The company also alleged that defamatory statements by Greenpeace led banks to withdraw financial support.
Energy Transfer’s attorney, Trey Cox, called the verdict a day of accountability for Greenpeace and a win for the Constitution and North Dakota.
"Greenpeace maliciously misrepresented events within this community in an unrelenting attempt to stop by any means possible the construction of a pipeline that had already obtained all of the necessary legal approval," Cox said in comments after the verdict.
Cox also made a distinction between lawful and unlawful protests.
"Peaceful protest is an inherent American right," he said. "However, violent and destructive protest is unlawful and unacceptable."
Greenpeace, which was also represented by its U.S. and international arms, has stated it will appeal the ruling.