The U.S. Supreme Court case Atlantic Refining Co. et al. v. Public Service Commission of New York et al., 1958, revolved around the issue of whether a state could regulate the price at which natural gas was sold directly to consumers when that gas had been transported in interstate commerce and purchased from an independent producer who had already paid a federal tax on it under the Natural Gas Act (NGA). The Atlantic Refining Company argued that such regulation by states would infringe upon federal jurisdiction as outlined in NGA, thereby violating the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. However, after deliberation, the Supreme Court ruled against Atlantic Refining Co., upholding New York's right to regulate these prices within its borders despite their connection with interstate commerce or any previous taxation under federal law. The court reasoned that while NGA did grant exclusive jurisdiction over rates charged in wholesale sales for resale across state lines to Federal Power Commission (FPC), it didn't extend this authority to direct sales not involving resale even if they were part of interstate commerce.

In the dissenting opinion for Atlantic Refining Co. v. Public Service Commission of New York, Justice Harlan argued that the majority's decision was a departure from established principles of federalism and states' rights to regulate their own utilities. He contended that there was no conflict between state regulation and federal control over interstate commerce in this case, as both could coexist without infringing upon each other's jurisdictional boundaries. Furthermore, he disagreed with the majority's interpretation of the Natural Gas Act, asserting it did not intend to strip states of their traditional authority over local utility rates but rather aimed at preventing discrimination in pricing among different regions or customers. The justice also expressed concerns about potential negative impacts on consumers if state regulatory powers were curtailed by such broad interpretations of federal law.