International conflict—especially in the Middle East—often shocks the energy markets due to concerns about the availability and price of oil and gas. Long before the recent Venezuela and Iran crises, President Trump had...more
4/7/2026
/ Defense Production Act ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Executive Powers ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Foreign Policy ,
Infrastructure ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
Jones Act ,
National Security ,
Oil & Gas ,
Preemption ,
State of Emergency ,
Trump Administration
On January 28, 2026, Baker Botts hosted a full day of discussions featuring senior regulators, former agency leaders, and policy insiders, a clear theme emerged: environmental and energy regulation is being reshaped at an...more
2/20/2026
/ CEQ ,
Clean Water Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Infrastructure ,
Investment ,
NEPA ,
Permits ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Rulemaking Process ,
US Army Corps of Engineers ,
Waters of the United States
Over the course of the last 15 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a suite of regulations under the Clean Air Act (CAA) built upon EPA’s finding – originally made in 2009 – that greenhouse gas...more
2/16/2026
/ Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Endangerment Finding ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Final Rules ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Rescission ,
Rulemaking Process ,
SCOTUS ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Trump Administration
During Baker Botts' 39th Annual Environmental, Safety & Incident Response Seminar on January 28, 2026, Partner Jeff Wood led a session with Justin Schwab, General Counsel at the White House Council on Environmental Quality,...more
2/13/2026
/ CEQ ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Environmental Assessments ,
Environmental Impact Statements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Review ,
Exemptions ,
Government Agencies ,
Infrastructure ,
NEPA ,
Permits ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Trump Administration
On January 21, 2026, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce reported a package of bills that, if enacted, would constitute the most significant amendments to the Clean Air Act (CAA) since 1990....more
1/29/2026
/ Air Pollution ,
Air Quality Standards ,
Clean Air Act ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Industrial Sector ,
NAAQS ,
NEPA ,
New Amendments ,
New Legislation ,
NSR ,
Permits ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements
Over the course of the last 15 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a suite of regulations under the Clean Air Act (CAA) built upon EPA’s finding – originally made in 2009 – that greenhouse gas...more
Over the last half century, federal courts have interpreted the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to require federal agencies to study an ever-growing range of indirect effects and impacts when approving large...more
6/4/2025
/ Energy Projects ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Government Agencies ,
Infrastructure ,
Judicial Deference ,
Judicial Review ,
NEPA ,
Oil & Gas ,
Popular ,
Railroads ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Rulemaking Process ,
SCOTUS ,
Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v Eagle County Colorado ,
Statutory Interpretation
On May 9, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed a new Executive Order titled Fighting Overcriminalization in Federal Regulations, marking a significant policy shift in how federal agencies and the Department of Justice (DOJ)...more
Over the course of the last 15 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a suite of regulations under the Clean Air Act (CAA) built upon EPA’s finding – originally made in 2009 – that greenhouse gas...more
On November 12, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a decision that goes to the heart of how the National Environmental Policy Act is implemented. In Marin Audubon Society v. Federal Aviation...more
On September 5, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register a direct final rule announcing an 8-month extension to the PFAS reporting deadline under the Toxic Substances Control Act...more