The Continuing Impact of Coal Ash - Energy Law Insights
Litigating During COVID: What You Need to Know
Good morning! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past week and forthcoming climate-related events and hearings...more
Solar Powered Generation Sees Significant Growth while Some Solar Energy is Increasingly Blocked from Production - Our Currents focus article this month is on developments in the growth of solar electric power generation...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
The Cost of "Electrification" “Electrification” has become a ubiquitous term these days, although depending on who you ask, it might have different meanings. However defined, a critical component of electrification as a...more
The United States Energy Information Administration published a January 19th report titled: Increasing Renewables Likely to Reduce Coal and Natural Gas Generation Over Next Two Years (“Report”)...more
● Offshore Oil and Gas at Risk of Potentially Catastrophic Cyberattack: GAO - “The industry includes about 1,600 offshore oil and gas facilities that are highly dependent on remotely connected operational technology, the...more
Coal Producer Plans to Create 181 New Jobs in Southwest Virginia Mine Complex - "Coronado Global Resources Inc., an international coal company, is committing $169.1 million toward the effort to increase capacity at its...more
Shell’s Board of Directors Sued for ‘Failing to Properly Prepare’ for the Energy Transition - "It argues the board’s failure to implement a climate strategy that truly aligns with the landmark Paris Agreement is a breach...more
Coal Power to Increase for First Time Since 2014, US Says - "The amount of electricity produced by coal plants is expected to tick up 22% in 2021, reversing coal’s six-year downward trend." Why this is important: For...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
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
Overview of the current energy mix, and the place in the market of different energy sources - Due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. total energy consumption in 2020 is on pace to decline for a second straight...more
Mountain Valley Says Natural Gas Pipeline Timing Depends on Litigation, U.S. Approvals - “'As the litigation process progresses and as we receive additional information from FERC regarding potentially releasing the...more
Exxon Mobil: Doubling Down While Facing Peak Oil Demand - "With most competitors pivoting away from upstream growth, Exxon continues to press ahead with investments despite very challenging current price environment for...more
For anyone tracking the future of energy, 2020 is expected to bring a major milestone: Renewables are poised to generate more electricity in the U.S. than coal for the first time over the course of a full year according to...more
Is the world hurtling irreversibly toward incinerating, extinction-causing, fossil-fuel induced destruction while we’re doing nothing about it? Maybe not, if you consider overlooked and ignored sources of information....more
Energy-Related CO2 Emissions ‘Flatlined’ Last Year, IEA Says, Raising Hopes About Climate - "Global emissions remained at approximately 33 gigatonnes in 2019 despite the world economy growing by 2.9%, the IEA said." ...more
Energy Blockchain’s Most Obvious Use Case is Not What You Think - "Instead, a select group of blockchain companies is finding success with a focus on certificates of origin, helping demonstrate the provenance of renewable...more
Court Ruling Vindicates ExxonMobil in New York ‘Climate Change’ Fraud Case - “'The Office of the Attorney General failed to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that ExxonMobil made any material misstatements or...more
Russian, Colombian Competition Continuing to Slow U.S. Thermal Coal Exports - "'Central Appalachian and Northern Appalachian exports remain out of the money for shipment to Europe and Illinois Basin coal has significant...more
Big Oil’s Climate Change Reckoning Finally Arrives in Court - "New York’s $1.6 billion lawsuit arose from a national effort to hold Big Oil responsible for global warming." Why this is important: The most important...more
Focus - PacifiCorp to add 7 GW of renewables and storage, close 20 of 24 coal plants - Utility Dive – October 3 - PacifiCorp plans to add nearly 7 gigawatts of renewable generation and storage capacity by 2025 and will...more
Trump's EPA Grants 31 Small Refinery Waivers from Biofuel Laws, Angering Corn Lobby - "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted 31 small refinery biofuel waivers for 2018, infuriating the ethanol and corn...more