The Continuing Impact of Coal Ash - Energy Law Insights
Litigating During COVID: What You Need to Know
On April 25, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed four final rules representing multi-media regulation (air, water, waste, climate) for the utility sector. Individually, each rule would have been notable for...more
Good afternoon! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past two weeks and forthcoming climate-related events and...more
Continuing the Biden administration’s push toward reducing industrial emissions and advancing clean energy manufacturing, the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Manufacturing Energy Supply Chains (MESC) issued a second...more
Pennsylvania and RGGI – Decision and Resolution - On November 1, 2023, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, in a five-judge panel decision, issued a long-awaited ruling denying the authority of the executive branch,...more
Global Coal Prices Surge as Ukraine Tensions Worsen Supply Woes - "Europe relies on Russia for around 35% of its natural gas, and has been grappling with a gas shortage since last summer that sent local prices to record...more
As U.S. Retreats, China Looks to Back Taliban with Afghan Mining Investments - "While the Taliban takes stock of the natural resources and U.S.-funded infrastructure now at their disposal, strategic competitors including...more
In a first, U.S. declares shortage on Colorado River, forcing water cuts - The New York Times – August 16 - With climate change and long-term drought continuing to take a toll on the Colorado River, the federal Bureau of...more
Appeals Court Rules Louisiana Oil-and-Gas Lawsuits Must be Heard in Federal Court - "The state and six coastal parishes have filed 42 lawsuits against 200 fossil fuel companies since 2013 over coastal erosion and wetland...more
Welcome to Volume 5, Issue 22 of Currents. With this issue, we will begin publishing on a bi-weekly schedule. We believe publishing every two weeks will give us a better opportunity to focus on hot topics affecting our...more
Welcome to Volume 5, Issue 21 of Currents. This week, we take a look at hydrogen, nuclear, cyber security, renewable energy storage, and the latest in the coal industry. How An Old Power Plant Is Being Refitted For The...more
Welcome to Volume 5, Issue 20 of Currents. In this issue, we discuss major and interesting topics such as IGCC coal power, BP and solar projects, using coal substitutes, Republican investments in EVs, cofiring, secure mineral...more
Clearway Energy Acquires 264-MW Wind Farm in West Virginia - "Located in Grant County, Mt Storm was put on stream back in 2008 and is feeding electricity into the PJM market." Why this is important: Clearway Energy...more
The White House demonstrates its continued support for fossil fuel communities during the current clean energy transition by standing up the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communicatees and Economic...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
U.S. Congress Launches Probe Into Multibillion-Dollar 'Clean Coal' Tax Credit - "The U.S. Congress is investigating a multibillion-dollar subsidy for chemically treated coal that is meant to reduce smokestack pollution,...more
Welcome to Volume 5, Issue 8 of Currents. Recently, my colleagues Joseph Schaeffer and Risa Katz-Albert recorded a webinar - Data Privacy and Security 101: Six Questions to Ask Yourself. They discuss basic introductory data...more
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf Floats Natural Gas Tax to Pay for $3 Billion Pandemic Recovery Plan - "Long a proponent of an extraction tax, Wolf said it could pay for improvements to workforce training and support, remove...more
Why the U.S. isn't in Desperate Need of the Keystone XL Pipeline - "U.S. President Joe Biden fulfilled a campaign promise by scuttling the 1,897-kilometre pipeline." Why this is important: While the rescission of the...more
Congress Reaches Compromise on Clean Energy Deal to be Attached to Government Funding Bill - "A bipartisan energy package hitched to the spending bill includes provisions to boost technologies such as advanced nuclear...more
...As the Biden Administration prepares to take office with a platform pledging both to respect science and to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreements, a review of the actual data appears in order. Starting from a baseline on...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