Proof in Trial: Appellate Edition: Stand Up for California et al. v. U.S. Department of the Interior et al.
On May 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior reversed its April 16 stop work order and allowed the $5 billion, 2 GW, Empire Wind project 12 miles south of Long Island to proceed. The move follows an intensive lobbying...more
The Natural Resources Defense Council and Waterkeepers (collectively, “NRDC”) submitted on May 6th a document to the United States Department of Interior (“DOI”) styled: Petition to the Secretary of Interior to Enforce...more
In a significant policy shift, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policy update designed to expedite the oil and gas leasing process on public lands. Through a newly issued...more
On April 23, 2025, the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) announced newly adopted emergency permitting procedures it is implementing to accelerate the review and approval of projects in relation “to the identification,...more
On April 14, 2025, the United States Department of the Interior announced a series of Tribal Consultations. The purpose of the consultations is to address the new administration’s goal of “working to enhance government...more
President Donald Trump on April 24, 2025, issued an executive order, "Unleashing America's Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources" (the EO), that aims to promote the development of offshore critical minerals in the oceans...more
In a significant move to accelerate domestic energy development, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has announced emergency permitting procedures that will dramatically compress environmental review timelines. Under...more
On Wednesday, April 16, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to order Equinor to “stop work” on its 812 megawatt Empire Wind 1 project just outside of New York Harbor....more
On April 9, 2025, President Trump announced a slew of executive actions seeking to bolster the coal industry. One of the three executive orders is directly targeted at procedures to increase coal mining and production, which...more
On March 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order (“EO”) entitled Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production. The EO builds on previous energy-focused actions taken by the Administration, and...more
On March 14, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order titled “Additional Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” which rescinded 18 previous executive orders and other presidential actions, on topics...more
Ensure appropriations to the Smithsonian Institution prohibit expenditures on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with...more
A group of 23 Republican AGs wrote a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) supporting increased use of coal to meet growing energy needs. ...more
On March 20, 2025, the Trump administration invoked emergency powers in an Executive Order (EO) entitled Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production, aiming to accelerate domestic mineral mining and processing....more
On March 20, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14241 (EO), 90 Fed. Reg. 13673 (Mar. 25, 2025), aimed at promoting domestic mineral production for national security. The EO relies on authority under 3 U.S.C. § 301...more
A series of recent actions undertaken by President Biden, near the end of his term, and President Trump, in the early days of his presidency, have called into question a key issue under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act...more
The order aims to coordinate government efforts to fast-track permitting and accelerate funding to enhance critical minerals value chains from the mine to finished products....more
In a move designed to “facilitate domestic mineral production to the maximum possible extent,” on March 20, 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order—titled “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral...more
On March 17, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied a request from the Trump administration for an immediate administrative stay of a California district court order issued last week. The 9th Circuit’s order...more
The “Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge” will be renamed as the “Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge” to honor Jocelyn Nungaray, whose life was tragically cut short on June 17, 2024, when she was brutally murdered in...more
Wind energy projects along the coasts are facing uncertainty due to President Trump’s Presidential Memorandum issued on January 20, “Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing...more
Establishes the National Energy Dominance Council with the Secretary of the Interior, and Secretary of Energy and Chair and Vice Chair. The Order assigns the council to advice the President on various energy related matters,...more
The State of Alaska (the State) has embarked on a significant legal journey, filing a lawsuit against the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). This lawsuit...more
On the President’s first day in office, January 20, the White House released Executive Order 14153, titled “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” (the “Alaska EO”). The Alaska EO states that: The State of...more
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14154, “Unleashing American Energy,” which requires all agencies to identify actions that potentially burden deployment of domestic energy resources and develop...more