[Podcast] Hosted Payload Episode 5
Stoel Rives | Deeply Rooted Podcast Episode Three: Diversity in Agriculture: From its People to its Products with Elin Miller, Founder of Umpqua Nut Farms & Umpqua Vineyards
Nota Bene Episode 101: Catching up with Global Climate Regulation with Nico van Aelstyn
[WEBINAR] Update on the California Environmental Quality Act: What’s New for 2018
As widely reported, including in previous issues of the Environmental Law Monitor, the environmental and financial impacts of wildfires in recent years have been significant. In the aftermath of these events, an...more
On June 10, 2023, a jury in Portland, Oregon found PacifiCorp and Pacific Power (collectively, “PacifiCorp”) liable for negligence, trespass, and nuisance based on a series of four wildfires that occurred during Labor Day...more
To help prevent wildfires during extreme weather conditions, California electric utility companies have adopted the use of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). Beginning in 2017, PSPS have been utilized to reduce the risk of...more
In 49 states, the safety standard that governs overhead communications and electric facilities is the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC). California—not surprisingly—has adopted its own standard: General Order (G.O.) 95....more
After a horrible wildfire season in 2020, this year's wildfire season is off to an even earlier start in Oregon and across the West. The fires have been making national news seemingly every day, with record-breaking "heat...more
Last week, the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) held the first of multiple stakeholder workshops to kick-off a new rulemaking intended to establish the rules for wildfire mitigation planning efforts by regulated...more
ExxonMobil, Partners Discover Carbon Capture Technology for Industrial Sources - "A possible breakthrough in technology that could capture more than 90% of carbon dioxide emitted from industrial sources has been announced...more
The California power giant, PG&E, has emerged from the country’s largest utility bankruptcy proceeding as a dramatically different company. Not only has PG&E exited Chapter 11, it has completed a restructuring that will have...more
We’ve reported here and here on the January 2019 bankruptcy filing by Pacific Gas and Electric (“PG&E”), which was primarily the result of potential liability stemming from catastrophic California wildfires. Since then, PG&E...more
Coronavirus Throws EU Climate Plans into Disarray - "Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said last week that the EU should 'forget about' the Green Deal for now while it focuses on Coronavirus." Why this is important: ...more
Please join Lori Anne Dolqueist and Willis Hon on February 26, 2020 for the first presentation in our 2020 Water Webinar Series, "Water, Power & Fire: Coordination, Resiliency and Liability in 2020." This complimentary...more
CEP Magazine (January 2020) - US law holds that, when the government seizes or damages land and does not pay compensation as required under the Fifth Amendment, the landowner must sue in court for damages. It is known as...more
Pacific Gas and Electric provided its customers in northern California with a glimpse of the future last week. Due to extremely dry conditions coupled with the prospect of strong winds, and cognizant of last year’s massive...more
This ruling formally initiates the “procurement track” as outlined in Decision (D.) 19-04-040. The ruling generally describes the scope and content of the procurement track, and seeks comments from parties on its framing and...more
On July 11, 2019, the California Legislature passed, and Governor Gavin Newsome quickly signed into law, Assembly Bill 1054, which creates the potential for a $21 billion fund to assist Californian utilities with their...more
The unfortunate trend of increased wildfires across the western landscape continued in 2018, both as to the number of fires and the acreage burned. Most disturbing is the growing severity and impacts of these fires in terms...more
This is the third 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
California’s trouble-plagued Pacific Gas & Electric utility has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, listing debts of more than $51.7 billion....more
On January 14, 2019, facing “billions of dollars in liability claims from two years of deadly wildfires,” PG&E Corporation and its regulated utility subsidiary, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, reported that they expect to...more
British lawmakers are voting today on Theresa May’s updated Brexit plan, and by all accounts, it’s been a mad dash for the Prime Minister in recent weeks to shore up support for a plan “that could go down to a humiliating...more
Pacific Gas and Electric’s announcement that it intends to file for bankruptcy by the end of January will have a significant impact on public agencies....more
On December 13 the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) will vote on whether to open a new rulemaking to determine when an electric utility can de-energize power lines in cases of dangerous conditions that threaten...more
On August 31, 2018, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill (“SB”) 901, which addresses a number of wildfire-related items relating to public utilities. Governor Brown signed the Bill into law on September 21, 2018....more
The $1.3 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, which was signed into law on March 23, 2018, (the Act) includes bipartisan measures to fundamentally change how the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies pay...more