Funding lapse halts key federal activities and heightens uncertainty for agencies, contractors and grant recipients...more
There has been a flurry of recent federal activity regarding PFAS on the part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA has doubled down on certain regulatory fronts, defending key hazardous substance...more
10/10/2025
/ CERCLA ,
Clean Water Act ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Hazardous Substances ,
NPDES ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
On September 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Request for Applications (RFA) seeking proposals from U.S. companies to develop AI data centers co-located with advanced energy projects at the Idaho National...more
9/15/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Data Centers ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Projects ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Land ,
Geothermal Energy ,
Infrastructure ,
Nuclear Power ,
Popular ,
Request for Proposals
Coalitions of Republican-led states, industry associations led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and, most recently, the U.S. Department of Justice are testing “climate superfund” laws that aim to recover billions from carbon...more
Enacted earlier this year and scheduled to take effect September 1, SB 2337 would impose new disclosure obligations on proxy advisory firms issuing recommendations regarding Texas-based public companies, including a...more
9/4/2025
/ Contracts Clause ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Due Process ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
First Amendment ,
Glass Lewis ,
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Proxy Advisors ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
State and Local Government ,
Texas
New laws take effect January 1 while regulated entities still await implementing regulations from California Air Resources Board....more
8/29/2025
/ California ,
CARB ,
Climate Change ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Legislation ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Rulemaking Process
A new Executive Order directs agencies to accelerate federal permitting and environmental review processes for large-scale AI data center projects and supporting components. The DOE has designated four federal sites for...more
The Opinion interprets member states’ responsibilities under treaty and customary international law. In a sweeping and landmark declaration, the Opinion advises that member states have a duty to reduce emissions, regulate...more
On June 27, 2025, the Texas Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Cactus Water Services, LLC v. COG Operating, LLC, No. 23-0676, resolving a high-stakes dispute over the ownership of produced water—a vexing...more
The IEA’s 2025 Global Critical Minerals Outlook reveals a market at a crossroads: While demand for energy transition and other minerals continues to surge, investment and supply diversification are not keeping pace....more
6/23/2025
/ China ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Energy Sector ,
Export Controls ,
G7 ,
International Energy Agency (IEA) ,
Investment ,
Minerals ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Supply Chain
On June 9, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed granting the State of Texas primary enforcement authority—commonly referred to as “primacy”—over the permitting and regulation of Class VI underground...more
6/13/2025
/ Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Drinking Water ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Oil & Gas ,
Permits ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
State and Local Government ,
Texas ,
Underground Injection Wells
Texas emerged from its 89th legislative session with a sweeping set of laws aimed at cementing the state’s leadership in advanced nuclear energy. Through the passage of HB 14, SB 1535 and SB 1061, lawmakers demonstrated a...more
Texas has responded to rapid electrical load growth with legislative reforms. On June 1, 2025, Texas Senate Bill 6 (SB 6), passed both chambers of the Legislature with bipartisan support and was sent to Governor Abbott for...more
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced on May 30 that it will invoke emergency permitting procedures to accelerate environmental review of select geothermal energy projects, with three proposed geothermal...more
The Texas legislature passed a series of bills aimed at modernizing the legal and regulatory landscape for the handling and reuse of produced water—a byproduct of oil and gas operations. These developments address permitting,...more
Geothermal energy is rapidly gaining support in Texas as a viable and cost-efficient clean energy resource with substantial economic development prospects. With the ability to leverage the state’s existing oil and gas...more
In a highly anticipated decision for project developers and permitting agencies, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the D.C. Circuit’s 2023 decision that had invalidated federal approval of the Uinta Basin Railway. In Seven...more
6/4/2025
/ Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Environmental Impact Statements ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Judicial Review ,
NEPA ,
Oil & Gas ,
Railways ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Rulemaking Process ,
SCOTUS
In a closely watched opinion issued on May 16, 2025, the Texas Supreme Court in Myers-Woodward, LLC v. Undergrounds Services Markham, LLC, — S.W.3d —, No. 22-0878, 2025 WL 1415892 (Tex. May 16, 2025) resolved a long-uncertain...more
Even as the Trump administration moves to block state and local climate liability efforts, states and municipalities continue to advance lawsuits seeking to hold fossil fuel companies liable for harms associated with climate...more
5/15/2025
/ Climate Change ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Executive Orders ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greenwashing ,
Oil & Gas ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a series of federal lawsuits against four states—New York, Vermont, Michigan and Hawaii—alleging that recent legislative and enforcement efforts to hold fossil fuel companies...more
5/9/2025
/ Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Commerce Clause ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Executive Orders ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration
On April 8, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14260, Protecting American Energy From State Overreach. Framed as part of the Administration’s broader strategy of unleashing American energy, the Order directs...more
4/18/2025
/ Climate Change ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Executive Orders ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Natural Resources ,
Oil & Gas ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration
With SB 813, California introduces a first-in-the-nation framework that reduces regulatory uncertainty and encourages responsible AI innovation. In addition to fostering public-private cooperation over top-down mandates, the...more
4/18/2025
/ Algorithms ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
California ,
Innovative Technology ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Risk Management ,
Safe Harbors ,
Technology Sector
States are increasingly turning to “Climate Superfund” laws as a potential mechanism to offset the growing costs of climate-related disaster recovery and the construction of more climate change-resilient infrastructure. These...more
4/8/2025
/ Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Corporate Liability ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Oil & Gas ,
Preemption ,
State and Local Government ,
Superfund
On March 20, 2025, the Trump administration invoked emergency powers in an Executive Order (EO) entitled Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production, aiming to accelerate domestic mineral mining and processing....more
3/27/2025
/ Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of the Interior ,
Energy Sector ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Funding ,
Investment ,
Mineral Extraction ,
Minerals ,
Mining ,
National Security ,
Permits ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Supply Chain ,
Trump Administration
Maryland has filed suit against W.L. Gore & Associates (Gore), a downstream user of PFAS-containing materials, alleging that its manufacturing processes contributed to PFAS contamination through its use of...more
3/14/2025
/ CERCLA ,
Consumer Product Companies ,
Contamination ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Groundwater ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
PFAS ,
Public Health ,
Toxic Chemicals