On February 12, 2024, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published a final rule that created several long-awaited general permits under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act) to authorize...more
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a Proposed Rule on June 16, 2023, that would, if adopted, amend its existing right-of-way regulations to promote solar and wind energy development on public lands administered by...more
After months of intense, and at times acrimonious, negotiations among the Democratic caucus, the United States Senate on August 7, 2022, passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA includes a host of programs aimed at...more
On March 22, 2021, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order setting forth new standards it will use to evaluate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with natural gas pipeline projects. The order,...more
It’s no secret that President Biden plans to prioritize action on climate change. During his presidential campaign, Biden identified climate change as one of his top four priorities, and announced he would seek to put the...more
On June 9, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued new rules designed to address concerns expressed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit) about abuse of landowner...more
On March 20, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit), sitting en banc, will hear arguments challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) use of “tolling orders.”...more
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) has taken the first step towards amending existing permitting procedures for small solar energy projects. The potential amendments may help sustain the recent...more
On April 10, 2019, President Trump signed two executive orders intended to address a range of legal and procedural hurdles commonly facing infrastructure projects, particularly in the energy sector. Most notably, the...more
Commercial-scale offshore wind power may soon become a reality in New England. On May 23, Massachusetts electric distribution companies selected Vineyard Wind, a subsidiary of Avangrid Renewables, LLC, as the preferred...more
In a 2-1 decision, the D.C. Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) did not satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) when it...more
On April 28, 2017, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order entitled “Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy.” This EO calls for expanded oil and gas leasing in areas of the U.S. Outer Continental...more
A coalition of fishing advocates, local towns, and municipalities from New Jersey to Rhode Island has sued the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) and sought a temporary restraining...more
On May 12, 2016, EPA issued three final rules to reduce methane emissions from new, reconstructed, and modified sources in the oil and gas sector by 2025. These rules create significant new obligations to reduce emissions of...more
A proposed Ohio wind farm cleared another legal hurdle last week when Judge Leon of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia upheld the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (“FWS”) issuance of an incidental...more