The Continuing Impact of Coal Ash - Energy Law Insights
Introduction: Hidden Challenges of Energy Transition - The evolution of energy transition in the United States has been driven, historically, by advances in new technology, fuel availability, fuel pricing, and, probably...more
For those seasoned rockers, CCR means Creedence Clearwater Revival, but for environmental lawyers, CCR means Coal Combustion Residuals (“CCR”) which is a slurry by-product from the generation of electricity from coal fired...more
EPA’s action finalizes aggressive emission reduction targets for certain subcategories of fossil fuel-fired power plants, based on implementation of carbon capture and sequestration. On April 25, 2024, the US...more
Coal ash – the byproduct of two centuries of burning coal to generate power – continues to roil the U.S. energy sector. Troutman Pepper’s Brian Harms and Brooks Smith discuss the dilemmas facing utilities and other energy...more
EPA’s long-promised rules for reducing CO2 emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants have now been published. In the proposal, EPA lays out “performance standards” for new natural gas-fired power plants and “emission...more
The Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") has announced a new proposed rule that would strengthen the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants ("NESHAP") for Coal- and Oil- Fired Electric Utility Steam...more
This term, in West Virginia v. EPA, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could not compel a nationwide shift away from coal-powered electricity generation. The Court reasoned that it...more
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its much-anticipated opinion in the case of West Virginia v. EPA regarding the agency’s authority to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) from new and existing coal- and gas-fired power...more
On the heels of oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court, we provide an update to a prior ELM post whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s has the ability to regulate carbon emissions from coal- and gas-fired...more
Budget 2022 - On Friday 18th February, Singapore’s Minister for Finance, Mr Lawrence Wong, delivered the country’s 2022 Budget Statement, setting out the Government’s spending plans for the current year and beyond. One of...more
In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, or the “Agency”) promulgated national regulations governing the disposal of coal ash generated by coal-fired power plants, or coal combustion residuals (CCRs). Following...more
FERC Warned Renewables Planning Can Strand Grid Assets - "But at a FERC technical conference, others highlighted a potential risk for overbuilding and the cost it could incur for consumers." Why this is important: It's...more
The long anticipated 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) kicked off last week in Glasgow and we have been closely monitoring the events of the conference, particularly where Singapore and the...more
Yesterday, we highlighted some of the developments on coal at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), including issuance of a “Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement” committing to...more
West Virginia v. EPA, No. 20-1530; North American Coal Corp. v. EPA, No. 20-1531; Westmoreland Mining Holdings v. EPA, No. 20-1778; North Dakota v. EPA, No. 20-1780: In four consolidated cases, the Court agreed to review the...more
Texas is now the third state with an approved CCR permit program. On June 28, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency published the approval of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s partial State Coal Combustion...more
Gas Stations Run Dry as Pipeline Races to Recover From Hacking - "Gas stations along the U.S. East Coast are beginning to run out of fuel as North America’s biggest petroleum pipeline races to recover from a paralyzing...more
WV Legislature Adopts Compromise Amendment to Natural Gas Property Tax Bill - "HB 2581 would provide a revised methodology to value oil and natural gas properties by the State Tax Commissioner in response to a West...more
The local economies of many communities in the southwest are tied to the operations of large coal-fired power plants. As those plants start closing, the communities can face significant disruption in their local economies...more
New Law Pushes Appalachian Power Toward More Renewable Energy - "Appalachian — which for years has relied heavily on coal and more recently natural gas to serve about 500,000 western Virginia customers — will acquire 210...more
On March 3, 2020, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) filed with the Illinois Pollution Control Board (Board) proposed regulations establishing standards for coal combustion residue (CCR) surface impoundments,...more
Industry Expert Insights - We reached out to one of our Lex Mundi partners and a well-known expert in France in the energy and legal industries to get his thoughts on the current energy climate. Michel Guénaire is a...more
China Resumes LNG Imports from the U.S. - "Chinese buyers have resumed imports of liquefied natural gas from U.S. exporters, as Beijing started granting waivers to a 25% import tariff." Why this is important: In the...more
Cancelled Teck Oil Sands Project Underscores Global Climate-Energy Policy Tension - "The Frontier project became the latest casualty in oil-producing countries with robust environmental movements agitating to cut...more
The Insanity is Over: ‘Navigable’ Now Means ‘Navigable’ Again - "The Trump administration has now announced that the intentionally ambiguous and easily abused Waters of the United States Rule has been replaced by the new,...more