Court says AES, Dynegy can’t face pricing suits

AES Corp. and Dynegy Inc. can’t be sued in California state court over claims that they manipulated power prices during the state’s energy crisis in 2000 and 2001, an appeals court said.

The California Court of Appeals in San Diego upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a group of lawsuits brought by California municipalities and consumers.

The court said the antitrust claims were preempted by federal laws regulating wholesale electricity and that a state court couldn’t determine reasonable wholesale power rates.