Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lee Zeldin on June 11, 2025, announced a proposed rule titled “Repeal of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units.” In...more
The National Environmental Protection Act ("NEPA") requires that federal agencies assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making final decisions, including decisions on issuing federal permits,...more
After 150 days in office, President Trump has signed executive orders on a pace of more than one per day. An emerging priority of the administration is increasing the use of federal land for resource production. This post...more
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi is expected to release a report any day detailing the Justice Department’s upcoming plans to combat “state overreach,” which is seen as impeding the Trump administration’s energy dominance...more
Key Takeaways - - Pursuant to President Trump’s executive order seeking to maximize the secretary of energy’s emergency authority under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, the secretary’s two new orders have halted the...more
The first few months of the new US administration have brought sweeping changes to the country’s environmental regulatory landscape. Through a spate of executive orders, agency directives, and staffing restructurings, the...more
In the latest NEPA news, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the withdrawal of its interim guidance on “Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate...more
Following up on our previous posts on United States energy policy under the Trump Administration, we are writing with an update on recent State Attorney General (AG) action in response to the Trump Administration’s climate...more
“Energy security,” the principle that when you flip a light switch the lights will turn on, is something that most Americans take for granted. But the mechanics behind it incorporate both century-old transmission towers and...more
Even as the Trump administration moves to block state and local climate liability efforts, states and municipalities continue to advance lawsuits seeking to hold fossil fuel companies liable for harms associated with climate...more
In recent years, states and municipalities have attempted to hold fossil fuel companies liable for their alleged impacts on climate change. Numerous states and municipalities have sued fossil fuel companies, alleging that...more
As we have noted previously, a number of states have enacted legislation and/or brought claims against fossil fuel producers seeking payment for damages resulting from climate change. Legislative efforts include New York...more
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a series of federal lawsuits against four states—New York, Vermont, Michigan and Hawaii—alleging that recent legislative and enforcement efforts to hold fossil fuel companies...more
The U.S. Department of Justice filed lawsuits against New York and several other states, challenging their newly enacted state Superfund laws (Superfund lawsuits). The laws aim to address the environmental damages attributed...more
On May 1, 2025, the federal government brought separate suits against both New York and Vermont alleging that these state’s “climate Superfund” statutes are unconstitutional on multiple grounds. In two nearly identical...more
Recently, both the State of Hawaii and the State of Michigan had announced that they would be pursuing litigation against fossil fuel companies concerning alleged damages stemming from the companies' contribution to climate...more
President Trump’s executive orders prioritize energy production from fossil fuels and pause both onshore and offshore wind projects....more
Primarily through the issuance of executive orders, the Trump administration has taken a comprehensive approach across departments to promote the production and use of fossil fuels and critical minerals, and withdraw support...more
On April 8, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14260, Protecting American Energy From State Overreach. Framed as part of the Administration’s broader strategy of unleashing American energy, the Order directs...more
President Trump’s energy-focused ambitions will generate work for regulators at all levels of the government....more
In the twelve weeks since Inauguration Day, President Trump has issued dozens of executive orders, a number of which are designed to reverse the nation’s momentum on clean energy and climate action. He has sought to upend...more
President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO), "Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 1424," on April 8, 2025, that places coal at the center of the administration's...more
President Donald Trump on April 9, 2025, issued an executive order (EO) titled "Protecting American Energy from State Overreach." The EO aims at "unleashing American energy" by removing legal restrictions imposed by state...more
On April 8, 2025, the President of the United States signed a suite of executive orders designed to extend the aims of the January 31, 2025 Executive Order (“EO”) Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation. The implementation...more
On April 8, 2025, President Trump issued a series of executive orders directing the federal government to analyze state-level climate policies targeting fossil fuel consumption and environmental regulations. This action...more