Opinion ID: 394177
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Loss of Thornberry's job

Text: 26 Even if Thornberry could show that the invalidation of section 25524.2 would lead to the Sundesert project being revived, he would not necessarily have standing to bring this suit. He would also have to show that abandonment of the Sundesert project caused him to lose his job, and that revival of the project might result in his being rehired. We agree with the Energy Commission that Thornberry has not made a showing sufficient to support the trial court's grant of summary judgment in his favor. Although Thornberry's affidavit states that the cancellation of Sundesert caused him to lose his job, 18 he has not even alleged, much less proved, that he might get his job back if the Sundesert project were revived. Only SDG&E could restore Thornberry to his job, and SDG&E is not a party to this action. Because the solution to (Thornberry's) problem depends on decisions and actions by third parties who are not before the court and who could not properly be the subject of a decree directing the result sought, Bowker v. Morton, 541 F.2d 1347, 1350 (9th Cir. 1976), Thornberry has not shown standing to sue. 27 We do not hold that a plaintiff who suffers an indirect injury of this sort will never have standing to challenge government action that has arguably caused the injury. If SDG&E officials had promised Thornberry his job back were the Sundesert project revived, a trier of fact might conclude that Thornberry had shown a substantial likelihood of redress. See, e. g., Duke Power, 438 U.S. at 76-77, 98 S.Ct. at 2632 (plans of power plant officials sufficient to give surrounding citizens standing); Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp., 429 U.S. 252, 264, 97 S.Ct. 555, 562-63, 50 L.Ed.2d 450 (1977) (plans of specific developer sufficient to give prospective resident standing). On the record before us, however, it is a mere speculative possibility that the relief sought would remedy Thornberry's injury.