Welcome to our first issue of 2021! We have been publishing a weekly edition of Currents since 2017 and hope that you find it informative and helpful. Our goal for 2021 is the same -- provide access to interesting and...more
The Biden administration, now set to take office in January 2021, will face unprecedented challenges. These challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump’s legal challenges to the election results, the call...more
President-elect Biden will assume office in January, 2021, with a divided nation, the global coronavirus pandemic, and a domestic energy market in a distressed state. The new administration will need to oversee the management...more
More Federal Permits Handed Down as MVP Presses FERC for Construction Restart - "The Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC told FERC that it has received a series of key federal waterbody crossing permits, bolstering its case to...more
U.S. Shale Producers Race for Federal Permits Ahead of Presidential Election - "Federal permitting in the largest U.S. oilfield in the Permian Basin, located in Texas and New Mexico, is up 80 percent in about the last three...more
Trump Administration Approves Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for Land Leasing, Oil Drilling - "The Trump administration continues to roll back environmental protections and opening doors for the fossil fuel industry in...more
On July 16, 2020, the White House Council on Environmental Quality ("CEQ") finalized the first major overhaul of its regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") in nearly 40 years. The final...more
Chevron’s Patience Pays Off with Bargain Deal for Noble Energy - "Like Anadarko, Noble is also a major player in the oil-rich DJ Basin of Colorado, as well as the oil-rich southwestern piece of the Eagle Ford Shale region." ...more
Fossil Fuels Still Supply 84 Percent of World Energy — and Other Eye Openers from BP’s Annual Review - "China was responsible for three quarters of the world’s energy consumption growth, followed by India and Indonesia....more
In Washington: Vice President Mike Pence told reporters that the administration is winding down and disbanding the White House Coronavirus Task Force around the end of the month. Officials say that key medical experts will...more
After much legal wrangling since the claim was launched against the U.S. federal government and the Office of the President of the United States in 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently dismissed the...more
Two major climate change cases were decided in the last month—State of the Netherlands v. Urgenda (Dec. 20, 2019) and Juliana v. United States (Jan. 17, 2020). They illustrate sharply contrasting views about the role of...more
Analysts Say U.S. Coal Merger Not Anti-Competitive- "The proposed 'extraordinary' joint venture between U.S. coal majors Peabody Energy and Arch Coal will be structurally beneficial, rather than anti-competitive for U.S....more
It can be difficult for business leaders to assess how climate change will impact commercial real estate finance. The sheer volume of climate information in the public domain is beset with politically charged debate,...more
West Virginia Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in EQT Doddridge County Trespassing Case - "The state Supreme Court will decide if a lower court judge got it right when he ruled natural gas production company EQT trespassed...more
This is the inaugural issue of WilmerHale’s 10-in-10 Hot Topics in Energy Series. Over the next 10 weeks, our attorneys will share insights on current and emerging issues affecting the US energy sector....more
Focus - U.S. judge bars Trump administration from approving hydraulic fracturing off California coast pending further environmental review - SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - Nov 9 A federal judge last Friday barred the Trump...more
U.S. to Give Eight Nations Oil Waivers Under Iran Sanctions, Official Says - "The U.S. has agreed to let eight countries - including Japan, India and South Korea - keep buying Iranian oil after it reimposes sanctions on the...more
How DC Unleashed Fossil-Fuel Exports Despite Climate Worries - "Since Donald Trump took office in 2017, exports of LNG and crude oil have surged, rivaling the likes of Saudi Arabia and Russia." Why this is important: The...more
Trump Prepared to Hit China with $60 Billion in Annual Tariffs - "President Trump is preparing to impose a package of $60 billion in annual tariffs against Chinese products, following through on a longtime threat that he...more
Trump Official Tells Coal Group He's 'an Advocate for the Coal Industry' "'The good news is I'm with the federal government and I'm here to help,' Doug Matheney, a special adviser in the Energy Department's Office of...more
West Virginia Surface, Mineral Rights Owners Say Details Will be Key to Getting Co-Tenancy Bill Passed - "Surface and mineral rights owners most affected by co-tenancy legislation say they're wary of jumping on the...more
President Trump is spearheading a government-wide roll back of Obama Era climate initiatives. The president and his EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, have delivered a one-two punch. They both have denied the impact of human...more
The Trump Administration promotes an "all of the above" energy strategy, but many of the Administration's actions to date seem to favor coal and fossil fuels at the expense of clean and innovative energy solutions. Although...more
Renewables sector welcomes Presidency’s support of renewables - The South African Renewable Energy Council (SAREC) has welcomed the Presidency’s clear support for the country’s Renewable Energy Independent Power...more