The Biden administration has committed to supporting increased renewable power generating capacity, calling to decarbonize the national electric grid by 2035. President Biden has already begun taking steps to support this...more
The Electric Vehicle Mobility Area Planning Act (“EV MAP Act”) was introduced November 24th in the United States House of Representatives. H.R. 8807 was introduced by Congressman Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) and Congressman...more
On August 4, 2020, U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) voted against Mark Menezes, who is nominated to become Deputy Secretary of Energy. In a statement, both Senators said that “[g]iven the uncertainty...more
As discussed in detail in a previous McGuireWoods alert, on May 1, 2020, President Trump issued Executive Order 13920 (EO) prohibiting the acquisition, importation, transfer or installation of certain equipment tied to a...more
On May 1, 2020, President Trump issued Executive Order 13920 (“Executive Order”), which prohibited certain transactions involving bulk-power system electric equipment manufactured or supplied by persons owned by, controlled...more
On May 1, 2020, the White House ratcheted up cybersecurity protection for the nation’s power grid by empowering the Secretary of Energy to prohibit the sale of certain foreign-made equipment for use in the US bulk power...more
President Trump’s May 1, 2020, Executive Order prohibiting certain transactions involving bulk-power system electric equipment developed, manufactured or supplied by a foreign adversary could have far-reaching implications...more
New Secretary of Energy Sworn in by President Trump - On December 11, President Trump presided over the swearing in of Dan Brouillette to serve as the 15th Secretary of Energy, with Vice President Pence administering the...more
Congress returned from a two-week recess on April 29, with the next one-week recess scheduled for the week of May 27. Since our last update, a number of energy-related bills have been introduced and congressional committees...more
Trump Signs Orders to Speed Up Oil and Gas Pipeline Construction - "President Trump signed two executive orders that he says will speed up construction of pipelines and other projects to enhance the production and...more
On April 10, 2019, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order seeking to address permitting and policy obstacles preventing the export of coal and other energy resources through West Coast ports. New port facilities and...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
Judge Boots the Global Warming Cases of San Francisco and Oakland Against Oil Companies - "In a 16-page order, U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted the motions to dismiss from the five targeted companies - Chevron,...more
State Files Motion to Dismiss Federal Lawsuit by EQT - "Lawyers representing the Secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection have filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit by the natural gas company EQT over a...more
U.S. Agencies Agree to Slash Approval Times for Infrastructure Projects - "More than a dozen federal agencies agreed to slash the time needed for environmental reviews and permitting on major infrastructure projects, a...more
The President’s FY 19 Proposed Budget, issued on Feb. 12, 2018, featured a heavy focus on the cybersecurity risks to the nation’s critical infrastructure and included budget increases for cyber specific missions within...more
In this four-part series, we revisit 2017’s biggest developments in Energy & Sustainability-related news, milestones, policy changes, and financial transactions. This is the third installment of the series...more
Ohio Supreme Court Joins Texas and Oklahoma in Holding the State Does Not Recognize a Separate Implied Covenant to Explore Further - "We conclude that Ohio does not recognize an 'implied covenant to explore further'...more
• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has voted to terminate a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking stemming from Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rick Perry's September 2017 proposal to initiate new pricing rules. ...more
On January 8, 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the Commission) issued an Order terminating the rulemaking proceeding that it established to address DOE Secretary Rick Perry’s proposed Grid Resiliency...more
On October 13, former Nevada Senator Harry Reid and current Governor of Nevada Brian Sandoval hosted the ninth annual National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas, NV. Each year, the 3-day summit brings together leaders of...more
On August 23, 2017, the Department of Energy (DOE) released its Staff Report assessing the reliability and resilience of the electric grid. The highly anticipated report was commissioned in April 2017 by Secretary of Energy...more