A new Executive Order directs agencies to accelerate federal permitting and environmental review processes for large-scale AI data center projects and supporting components. The DOE has designated four federal sites for...more
The IEA’s 2025 Global Critical Minerals Outlook reveals a market at a crossroads: While demand for energy transition and other minerals continues to surge, investment and supply diversification are not keeping pace....more
6/23/2025
/ China ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Energy Sector ,
Export Controls ,
G7 ,
International Energy Agency (IEA) ,
Investment ,
Minerals ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Supply Chain
On June 9, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed granting the State of Texas primary enforcement authority—commonly referred to as “primacy”—over the permitting and regulation of Class VI underground...more
6/13/2025
/ Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Drinking Water ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Oil & Gas ,
Permits ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
State and Local Government ,
Texas ,
Underground Injection Wells
Texas has responded to rapid electrical load growth with legislative reforms. On June 1, 2025, Texas Senate Bill 6 (SB 6), passed both chambers of the Legislature with bipartisan support and was sent to Governor Abbott for...more
Even as the Trump administration moves to block state and local climate liability efforts, states and municipalities continue to advance lawsuits seeking to hold fossil fuel companies liable for harms associated with climate...more
5/15/2025
/ Climate Change ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Executive Orders ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greenwashing ,
Oil & Gas ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration
On April 8, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14260, Protecting American Energy From State Overreach. Framed as part of the Administration’s broader strategy of unleashing American energy, the Order directs...more
4/18/2025
/ Climate Change ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Executive Orders ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Natural Resources ,
Oil & Gas ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration
States are increasingly turning to “Climate Superfund” laws as a potential mechanism to offset the growing costs of climate-related disaster recovery and the construction of more climate change-resilient infrastructure. These...more
4/8/2025
/ Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Corporate Liability ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Oil & Gas ,
Preemption ,
State and Local Government ,
Superfund
On March 20, 2025, the Trump administration invoked emergency powers in an Executive Order (EO) entitled Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production, aiming to accelerate domestic mineral mining and processing....more
3/27/2025
/ Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of the Interior ,
Energy Sector ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Funding ,
Investment ,
Mineral Extraction ,
Minerals ,
Mining ,
National Security ,
Permits ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Supply Chain ,
Trump Administration
Critical minerals are the backbone of modern technologies and national security, powering everything from advanced semiconductors and electric vehicle batteries to missile guidance systems and renewable energy infrastructure....more
3/14/2025
/ China ,
Clean Energy ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Sector ,
Executive Orders ,
International Trade ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mineral Extraction ,
National Security ,
Renewable Energy ,
Semiconductors ,
Supply Chain ,
Trump Administration
The executive order aims to expedite energy projects, boost domestic production, and strengthen U.S. energy independence through streamlined regulatory reforms. On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued the “Declaring a...more
1/31/2025
/ Defense Production Act ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Infrastructure ,
Oil & Gas ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration
In a “paradigm shift in environmental liability,” some states are seeking to legislate financial responsibility on large coal and oil & gas companies for the public costs associated with strengthening infrastructure against...more
1/7/2025
/ CERCLA ,
Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Financial Responsibility Standards ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Superfund
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
12/19/2024
/ China ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Costs ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Export Bans ,
Geothermal Energy ,
Grants ,
Hydrogen Power ,
Incentives ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Infrastructure ,
Keystone XL Pipeline ,
Liquid Natural Gas ,
Minerals ,
Nuclear Power ,
Oil & Gas ,
Paris Agreement ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Renewable Energy ,
Renewable Fuel ,
Solar Energy ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Trump Administration ,
UNFCCC ,
Wind Power
Artificial intelligence, data centers, carbon removal and zero-emission power may sound like a winning line (plus the Free Space) on a 2024 Buzzword Bingo card. But the concepts have come into dramatic real-world tension as...more
9/12/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Data Centers ,
Electricity ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Green Energy ,
Infrastructure ,
Innovative Technology ,
Renewable Energy ,
Technology Sector
Beginning April 12, 2024, USFWS will offer a general permit application for incidental take of bald and golden eagles for wind energy and power line projects.
The general permit option will provide an alternative to...more
As demand increases for low-carbon technologies to power the energy transition, the acquisition of critical materials—so-called given their integral role in the transition of energy activities—is becoming increasingly...more
As the world pursues ambitious net-zero carbon emission goals, demand is soaring for the critical materials required for the technologies leading the energy transition. Lithium may be the most well-known of these inputs due...more
The Greater Houston Partnership’s new Energy Transition Strategy report makes an economic case that the Houston region is poised to lead the energy transition, articulating an industry-driven vision that builds on the City of...more