Nantahala Power & Light Co. v. Thornburg

476 U.S. 953 · Decided June 16, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Nantahala Power & Light Co. v. Thornburg was decided on June 16, 1986 unanimously (7–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation” in the Federalism area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr., John Paul Stevens.

Full case caption

Nantahala Power & Light Co. et al. v. Thornburg, Attorney General of North Carolina, et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1985-113, docket 1985-113-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”

• Wardair Canada Inc. v. Florida Department of Revenue
  477 U.S. 1Decided June 18, 19868–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• Baker v. General Motors Corp.
  478 U.S. 621Decided July 2, 19866–3John Paul Stevens
• Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission
  476 U.S. 355Decided May 27, 19865–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Public Service Commission of Maryland v. Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland
  476 U.S. 445Decided May 27, 19867–0Per curiam
• Golden State Transit Corp. v. City of Los Angeles
  475 U.S. 608Decided April 1, 19868–1Harry A. Blackmun
• Exxon Corp. v. Hunt
  475 U.S. 355Decided March 10, 19867–1Thurgood Marshall

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Power Act

• Mississippi Power & Light Co. v. Mississippi ex Rel. Moore
  487 U.S. 354Decided June 24, 19886–3John Paul Stevens
• Escondido Mutual Water Co. v. La Jolla Band of Mission Indians
  466 U.S. 765Decided May 15, 19849–0Byron R. White
• Arcadia v. Ohio Power Company
  498 U.S. 73Decided November 27, 19908–0Antonin Scalia
• Federal Power Commission v. Conway Corp.
  426 U.S. 271Decided June 7, 19769–0Byron R. White
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Federal Power Commission
  425 U.S. 662Decided May 19, 19768–0Potter Stewart
• Chemehuevi Tribe of Indians v. Federal Power Commission
  420 U.S. 395Decided March 3, 19758–0Potter Stewart

Same Term, same area (Federalism)

• Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. v. State Oil and Gas Board of Mississippi
  474 U.S. 409Decided January 22, 19865–4Harry A. Blackmun
• United States v. Maine
  475 U.S. 89Decided February 25, 19868–0John Paul Stevens
• Wisconsin Department of Industry v. Gould Inc.
  475 U.S. 282Decided February 26, 19869–0Harry A. Blackmun
• Exxon Corp. v. Hunt
  475 U.S. 355Decided March 10, 19867–1Thurgood Marshall
• Golden State Transit Corp. v. City of Los Angeles
  475 U.S. 608Decided April 1, 19868–1Harry A. Blackmun
• Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission
  476 U.S. 355Decided May 27, 19865–2William J. Brennan Jr.

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error