West Virginia vs. EPA: An Environmental Regulations Case with Broad Implications for Agency Power
On March 13, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would move forward with reconsideration of the Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding (Endangerment Finding) as directed in President Trump’s Executive Order...more
In 2015, EPA proposed a rule requiring states to develop plans to cut CO2 emissions from the power sector—the Clean Power Plan (“CPP”). EPA explained the rule would result in “significant emission reductions” for that sector,...more
While still a newly minted lawyer early in 1977, I had the good fortune to land a job with the then brand-new Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. This coincided with the 1976 election of Jimmy Carter as...more
EPA’s long-awaited proposal would set aggressive emission reduction targets with many different approaches and timelines to achieve them. On May 11, 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its...more
On January 19, 2021 the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (the “DC Circuit”) vacated the Affordable Clean Energy Rule (the “ACE Rule”), a policy instituted by the Environmental Protection...more
The Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan (“CPP”) — an unprecedented use of the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions from power plants — is only “mostly dead” and could soon spring back to life. Yes,...more
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order titled “Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis.” The Executive Order directs the Environment...more
On Tuesday, the D.C. Circuit vacated and remanded the Trump administration’s 2019 Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule. The ACE rule was intended as a replacement for the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (CPP). ACE was viewed as a...more
The Biden administration, now set to take office in January 2021, will face unprecedented challenges. These challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump’s legal challenges to the election results, the call...more
Over the weekend, major news outlets announced that former Vice President Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States. Biden and his running mate, Vice Predident-elect Kamala Harris, pledged throughout the...more
A coalition of more than 25 states, including Minnesota as of last week, and various cities have petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia for review of the Trump administration’s promulgation of the...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
On June 19, 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final rule repealing the Obama-era “Clean Power Plan” (CPP) and replacing it with the “Affordable Clean Energy” (ACE) Rule. While both rules regulate...more
Trump Admin Submits Final Rule to Kill Obama Clean Power Plan - "The new replacement rule to the Clean Power Plan, deemed the Affordable Clean Energy rule, aims to give states more time and authority to decide how to...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) yesterday issued a final version of the previously proposed Affordable Clean Air Act Affordable Clean Energy (“ACE”) Rule. The ACE rule had been proposed on August...more
This is the eighth issue of WilmerHale’s 10-in-10 Hot Topics in Energy Series. Over the course of 10 weeks, our attorneys will share insights on current and emerging issues affecting the US energy sector. Attorneys from...more
This is the second issue of WilmerHale’s 10-in-10 Hot Topics in Energy Series. Over the next 10 weeks, our attorneys will share insights on current and emerging issues affecting the US energy sector. Attorneys from across...more
In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the controversial “Clean Power Plan,” which was immediately the subject of a legal challenge and was subsequently stayed by the United States Supreme Court....more
Introduction - As we have previously reported, on August 21, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) proposed to replace the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan (“CPP”) with the Affordable Clean Energy...more
Outlined in an Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") proposal published on August 31, 2018, the Affordable Clean Energy ("ACE") rule would replace the Obama Administration's Clean Power Plan ("CPP"). A 60-day public comment...more
On August 21, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its proposed Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, fulfilling a Trump campaign promise to eliminate strict coal plant emission limits that President...more
The Trump Administration announced a long-awaited proposal to roll back the Obama-era Clean Power Plan late last month. (Chicago Tribune). The action had been promised by the President and his appointees at EPA, who pursued...more
Advancing President Trump’s campaign promise to end the “war on coal,” on August 21, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) proposed a new rule to replace the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan (“CPP”). ...more
Earlier this week, on August 21, President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) proposed a rule pursuant to Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act (“CAA”) intended to replace the embattled Clean Power Plan (“CPP”)...more
Activists Have a New Strategy to Block Gas Pipelines: State's Rights - "It already has worked in New York where construction on the Constitution Pipeline has stalled. Now activists are trying the strategy in Oregon." ...more