What Will the U.S. Election Mean for Canada?
With a renewed focus on domestic energy production and regulatory reform, the incoming administration signals significant shifts in U.S. energy and climate priorities. The incoming Trump Administration will prioritize...more
If 2020 was the year of the great energy disconnect, 2021 was the year the people carrying out the energy debate appeared to be living on different planets, floating aimlessly through time and space and never intersecting...more
A group of 19 Republican AGs, led by Montana AG Austin Knudsen, wrote a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to support additional energy infrastructure in the wake of the Colonial pipeline shutdown...more
In the wake of President Joe Biden’s executive order revoking the Keystone XL pipeline permit, oil and gas producers are bracing for additional actions. In fact, environmental and activist groups are already targeting oil and...more
On January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order revoking the presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline border crossing. While this is not the first time a U.S president has issued such a directive,...more
Yesterday, President Biden hit the ground running on environmental policy, issuing an Executive Order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis. There’s a lot in it,...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
In this recording from a web event following the U.S. election, Hugh MacKinnon (Chairman and CEO of Bennett Jones) moderates a panel of four of Canada's most insightful and respected leaders, and members of the firm's...more
Recent court decisions have stymied the Trump Administration’s determination to accelerate permit approvals for oil and gas infrastructure projects, a policy focus since it came into office. Its tools have essentially been...more
On April 15, 2020, an order from the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana vacated a key general permit pipeline and utility project owners have used for decades to address Clean Water Act requirements, including...more
In a case brought by a coalition of environmental groups opposed to the Keystone XL Pipeline project, Judge Brian Morris of the U.S. District Court for Montana issued a ruling on April 15 nullifying Nationwide Permit (NWP)...more
Last week, President Trump further paved the way for the U.S. to become a dominant energy force in the global market, thereby benefitting the oil and gas industry in the near term and in the long game....more
Impact of U.S. Court Ruling on Keystone XL Timing Unclear: TransCanada - "TransCanada Corp is reviewing a decision by a Montana judge blocking construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, but the impact on project timing...more
On November 8, 2018, Judge Brian Morris granted summary judgment to plaintiffs on some of their claims challenging the State Department’s new Record of Decision for the Keystone XL project. Whatever our Tweeter-in-chief may...more
Negotiations to reshape the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) among the United States, Canada and Mexico have recently intensified as various factors—upcoming elections in Mexico in July and in the United States in...more
Coal - Rio exits coal industry in $4B worth of deals - Rio Tinto Group has agreed to several deals worth over $4 billion to sell all of its remaining coal assets, with a $1.7 billion cash sale of coal assets to...more
On January 20, 2017, businessman Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States following a contentious and unconventional 2016 presidential election. Republicans also successfully maintained control...more
210,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from Keystone Pipeline in South Dakota threatens groundwater in the area while a pipeline explosion in OrionTownship left a huge crater. In order to evaluate the impact of a new...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
Navigating Private Equity Fund Limitations for Energy Infrastructure-Focused Investments - Energy infrastructure funds have emerged as a class of funds that offer investors the potential for long-term stable returns, as...more
Last Thursday, the Trump administration issued a presidential permit to TransCanada to operate and construct the Keystone XL pipeline. Although the granting of the presidential permit is a big step forward, many regulatory...more
The Trump administration promises to streamline the regulatory process, dismantle burdensome regulations, and promote domestic job growth. On January 24, 2017, President Trump issued an executive order and four presidential...more
The first four weeks of the Trump administration have brought a flurry of policy and regulatory activity through Executive Orders (EO), proposed new legislation and review of existing regulation. After eight years of the...more
In the initial week of the Trump Administration, a lot has happened and more changes are planned. Here are the highlights from Week One: Confirmation Hearings - Confirmation hearings were conducted for Scott Pruitt...more
On January 24, the Trump Administration issued one Executive Order and Three Presidential Memoranda that affect energy projects in the United States, including in particular two pipeline projects blocked by the Obama...more