The Continuing Impact of Coal Ash - Energy Law Insights
Introduction: Hidden Challenges of Energy Transition - The evolution of energy transition in the United States has been driven, historically, by advances in new technology, fuel availability, fuel pricing, and, probably...more
For those seasoned rockers, CCR means Creedence Clearwater Revival, but for environmental lawyers, CCR means Coal Combustion Residuals (“CCR”) which is a slurry by-product from the generation of electricity from coal fired...more
Coal ash – the byproduct of two centuries of burning coal to generate power – continues to roil the U.S. energy sector. Troutman Pepper’s Brian Harms and Brooks Smith discuss the dilemmas facing utilities and other energy...more
FERC Warned Renewables Planning Can Strand Grid Assets - "But at a FERC technical conference, others highlighted a potential risk for overbuilding and the cost it could incur for consumers." Why this is important: It's...more
Gas Stations Run Dry as Pipeline Races to Recover From Hacking - "Gas stations along the U.S. East Coast are beginning to run out of fuel as North America’s biggest petroleum pipeline races to recover from a paralyzing...more
New Law Pushes Appalachian Power Toward More Renewable Energy - "Appalachian — which for years has relied heavily on coal and more recently natural gas to serve about 500,000 western Virginia customers — will acquire 210...more
Industry Expert Insights - We reached out to one of our Lex Mundi partners and a well-known expert in France in the energy and legal industries to get his thoughts on the current energy climate. Michel Guénaire is a...more
China Resumes LNG Imports from the U.S. - "Chinese buyers have resumed imports of liquefied natural gas from U.S. exporters, as Beijing started granting waivers to a 25% import tariff." Why this is important: In the...more
Cancelled Teck Oil Sands Project Underscores Global Climate-Energy Policy Tension - "The Frontier project became the latest casualty in oil-producing countries with robust environmental movements agitating to cut...more
The Insanity is Over: ‘Navigable’ Now Means ‘Navigable’ Again - "The Trump administration has now announced that the intentionally ambiguous and easily abused Waters of the United States Rule has been replaced by the new,...more
Court Ruling Vindicates ExxonMobil in New York ‘Climate Change’ Fraud Case - “'The Office of the Attorney General failed to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that ExxonMobil made any material misstatements or...more
Russian, Colombian Competition Continuing to Slow U.S. Thermal Coal Exports - "'Central Appalachian and Northern Appalachian exports remain out of the money for shipment to Europe and Illinois Basin coal has significant...more
Why Everything They Say About California Fires — Including That Climate Matters Most — is Wrong - "'We’ve looked at the history of climate and fire throughout the whole state, and through much of the state, particularly...more
Big Oil’s Climate Change Reckoning Finally Arrives in Court - "New York’s $1.6 billion lawsuit arose from a national effort to hold Big Oil responsible for global warming." Why this is important: The most important...more
Supreme Court Showdown Set Over Pipeline Crossing of Appalachian Trail - "Led by Dominion and Duke Energy, the company contends that 'long-standing precedent' allows pipelines to cross the 2,000-mile national scenic...more
This Breakthrough Lithium Extraction Technology Could Accelerate the Sustainable Energy Transition - "A breakthrough nanotechnology from cleantech start-up EnergyX promises to revolutionise the speed, cost and...more
Trump's EPA Grants 31 Small Refinery Waivers from Biofuel Laws, Angering Corn Lobby - "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted 31 small refinery biofuel waivers for 2018, infuriating the ethanol and corn...more
On June 19, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the final “Affordable Clean Energy” (“ACE”) rule to replace the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (“CPP”), which was suspended by the U.S. Supreme Court after...more
Federal Appeals Court Vacates Key Atlantic Coast Pipeline Permit - "A federal appeals court has pulled another permit issued to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, saying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had fast-tracked the...more
Analysts Say U.S. Coal Merger Not Anti-Competitive- "The proposed 'extraordinary' joint venture between U.S. coal majors Peabody Energy and Arch Coal will be structurally beneficial, rather than anti-competitive for U.S....more
The United States Energy Administration (“EIA”) issued a June 26th report noting that for the first time United States monthly electricity generation from renewable sources exceeded coal-fired generation. The data...more
Trump Said to Seek Limits on State Power in Pipeline Approvals - "Trump's order comes as the president continues to chafe at regulatory barriers he says throttle the full potential of American 'energy dominance,' while...more
Romney Helps GOP Look for New Path on Climate Change - "But a group of Republicans -- Romney and Sens. Lamar Alexander and Lindsey Graham, who worked with Democrats in 2009 and 2010 to cap carbon emissions, as well as others...more
West Virginia Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in EQT Doddridge County Trespassing Case - "The state Supreme Court will decide if a lower court judge got it right when he ruled natural gas production company EQT trespassed...more
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Floats 70% Tax on Wealthy to Pay for 'Green New Deal' - "Ocasio-Cortez has put forward a 'Green New Deal' that includes generating the nation's power from renewable sources, building a national...more