A Focus on Energy: M&A Trends in the Energy Sector
The U.S. Supreme Court today upended a 40-year-old decision that made it easier for the federal government to regulate the environment, public health, workplace safety, and consumer protections, delivering a far-reaching and...more
As reported to our readers in August 2023, the California Supreme Court in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. County of Monterey, (2023) Cal. LEXIS 4349, struck down a Monterey County initiative that would have banned oil and gas...more
Recent disruptions in the global food supply chains have highlighted Africa's urgent need to become self-sufficient in food production. Traditionally, the continent has turned to small-scale community-based agricultural...more
EPA floats sharply increased social cost of carbon - E&E News – November 21 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a new estimate for the social cost of carbon emissions, nearly quadrupling an interim...more
West Virginia Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Horizontal Drilling Taxation Case Involving Antero - "At issue is a consumer sales tax assessment of around $1 million the West Virginia State Tax Department has levied on...more
In 2015, I noted that the then-Governor of Alaska had decided that it was necessary to increase drilling for oil in Alaska to raise the money necessary to cope with the impact of climate change. I suggested that Governor...more
Chevron to Take $10B+ Write-Down - "More than half the write-down is related to gas drilling operations in Appalachia." Why this is important: In recent years, the pressure to reduce carbon emissions has affected...more
Expenses and Delays Continue for Mountain Valley Pipeline, Where Work has Halted Again - "The pipeline’s developers announced that construction now isn’t expected to concluded until late next year at a cost of $5.3 to $5.5...more
Mario Draghi presided over his final ECB meeting yesterday, with the central bank deciding to hold rates steady and let current stimulus measures play out for the time being. His departure (and the arrival of former IMF chief...more
FERC Proposes to Modernize PURPA Regulations - "The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposed to modernize its regulations governing small power producers and cogenerators under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies...more
A Turning Point for U.S. Power Generation - "For the first time in U.S. history, renewable energies briefly generated more electricity than coal in April this year, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and...more
Speedier than Jesse Owens in the ‘36 Olympics, Democrats railroaded the Colorado legislature passed, by party-line vote, Senate Bill 181, a new law that will have a profound effect on oil and gas operations in that state. It...more
The US District Court for the District of Columbia has blocked the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from issuing new oil and gas drilling permits on approximately 300,000 acres of federal land in Wyoming until it adequately...more
The Colorado oil and gas industry breathed a collective sigh of relief when the state Supreme Court announced its unanimous decision in Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission v. Martinez. ...more
WV Supreme Court Mulls Marcellus Shale Mass Litigation Case from Harrison, WV - "While the case centers on Harrison County, where the surface owners live and the Marcellus Shale operations are underway, the case could have...more
In an important victory for Colorado’s oil and gas industry, the Colorado Supreme Court unanimously supported the decision of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (the “Commission”) to decline a rulemaking sought...more
The Colorado Supreme Court on January 14 issued an opinion thought to be favorable to Colorado's oil and gas industry....more
Energy Companies to Appeal Loss of Forest Service Permit for Atlantic Coast Pipeline - "The builders of the $7 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline say they will appeal a federal court ruling that invalidated a permit allowing...more
New York Sues Exxon Mobil, Saying It Deceived Shareholders on Climate Change - "The litigation, which follows more than three years of investigation, represents the most significant legal effort yet to establish that a...more
As Storm Looms, 4th Circuit Reverses Ruling Against Dominion on Coal Ash Pollution at Chesapeake Site - "Water pollution from a coal ash landfill and settling ponds at a closed power plant in Chesapeake is not a violation of...more
EPA Announces a New Rule. One Likely Effect: Less Science in Policymaking - "The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new regulation that would restrict the kinds of scientific studies the agency can use when it...more
Trump is Still Pulling Out of Paris Agreement, Despite Chatter of a Reversal, Experts Say - "President Donald Trump is unlikely to reverse his position to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, despite the White House...more
According to the BBC, Alaska Governor Bill Walker has concluded that more drilling for oil is necessary in order for Alaska to have the funds necessary to pay to mitigate the costs of climate change in Alaska. Such costs...more
Draft New Source Performance Standards to Reduce Methane and VOC Emissions - The oil and gas sector is the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) latest target regarding the reduction of GHG emissions. The White House...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released proposed regulations that would set performance standards for emissions of methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from new and modified sources in the...more