It sought a compromise with the No Dash for Gas protesters after they launched a campaign to persuade EDF customers to switch supplier in protest.
The protesters, who claimed 64,000 people had signed a petition against the lawsuit including Richard Dawkins, Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Klein and Noam Chomsky, called EDF’s move a “humiliating climbdown”.
Activist Hannah Davey said: “For all their power, for all their access and all their wealth, EDF’s bullying lawsuit has bitten the dust because people power fought back.”
Fellow campaigner Danielle Paffard said it was an “unmitigated defeat” for the energy firm. “A domineering company with an appalling record of pollution was trying to break the climate movement with a lawsuit they thought would silence opposition, but they failed,” she said.
However, the demonstrators agreed to sign an injunction prohibiting them from entering certain EDF sites.
The damages claim was for disruption and financial losses incurred when 21 No Dash for Gas members shut down West Burton gas-fired power station for a week last October. The protesters face criminal charges of aggravated trespass and could face jail terms.
EDF said: “Our aim was always to protect a vital infrastructure project – which forms part of a massive investment in the UK’s energy supply – from dangerous and costly disruption.”
The company insisted “we share the protestors’ commitment to tackling climate change”. It is inviting environmental campaigners to discuss the issues and its approach to tackling demonstrations with its Stakeholder Advisory Panel, chaired by Will Hutton.