On April 8 and 9, 2025, President Donald Trump issued five Presidential Actions (four Executive Orders and one Proclamation, collectively “Presidential Actions”) for the purposes of ensuring adequate and reliable energy...more
The below article is a summary of the Energy-related Executive Orders that have been issued this week by the Administration. Vinson & Elkins will provide a detailed substantive analysis of the Orders for clients in the coming...more
For more than twenty years, the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”), and later, the United States‑Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”), have facilitated cross-border trade and investment among the United States,...more
2/13/2025
/ Canada ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Executive Orders ,
Imports ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
International Trade ,
NAFTA ,
Tariffs ,
Trump Administration ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
US Trade Policies
In 2016, a new play called Hamilton was dominating Broadway, Pokémon Go was all the rage, and the Summer Olympics were held in Rio. Also that year, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“Commission” or “FERC”) issued an...more
1/15/2025
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Administrative Procedure Act ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Energy Sector ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FERC ,
Government Agencies ,
Judicial Review ,
Natural Gas ,
Penalties ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
SEC v Jarkesy ,
Settlement
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (“FERC” or “Commission”) Office of Enforcement (“Enforcement”) continues to focus on enforcing its duty of candor rules, with a recent action resulting in a $6.6 million civil...more
On May 13, 2024, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or “Commission”) established “a new foundation” upon which new electric transmission facilities can be planned, paid for, and built. The Commission did so...more
5/17/2024
/ Cost Allocation ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Eminent Domain ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Federal Power Act ,
FERC ,
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) ,
NEPA ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Transmission Planning
The United States electric grid is becoming increasingly stressed as the nation navigates the energy transition and demand for electricity rises. On May 1, 2024, recognizing the stress on the grid and the need for additional...more
On March 19, 2024, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (“NERC”) asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) to approve revisions to NERC’s Rules of Procedure (“ROP”) that would require certain...more
Over the past few years, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”) and the Department of Energy (“DOE”) have proposed many rules to support the Biden Administration’s push to build transmission...more
On November 16, 2023, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (“NOPR”) that would amend DOE’s regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) to add a categorical...more
In a concerted effort to meet the Biden administration’s aggressive carbon-reduction goals, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) unveiled a pre-publication copy of a forthcoming proposed rule on August 10, 2023, aimed at...more
8/17/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Carbon Emissions ,
CEQ ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Impact Statements ,
Federal Power Act ,
FERC ,
NEPA ,
Renewable Energy
On July 27, 2023, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”) issued a final rule intended to revolutionize the interconnection process. Among other things, the final rule replaces the prior...more
Much of the nation’s electric transmission grid is old and deteriorating, designed well before the recent transition from coal and oil-fired generation to renewable and distributed generation. There is widespread agreement...more