In a June 13, 2025 decision, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court held that a municipality impermissibly granted conditional use approval to an oil and gas well pad and interconnect facility on tax lots that were already...more
6/25/2025
/ Appeals ,
Conditional Use Permit ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Interconnections ,
Judicial Authority ,
Local Ordinance ,
Municipalities ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Wells ,
PA Supreme Court ,
Pennsylvania ,
Permits ,
Property Owners ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rural Development ,
Zoning Laws
On May 6, 2025, the Pennsylvania Senate passed Senate Bill 349 by a vote of 49-1. A week later, on May 13, 2025, the legislation was referred to the state House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee to begin...more
What Happens When a Parcel is Split Zoned?-
Municipal zoning maps frequently include the entirety of a lot or a tax parcel within a given zoning district. But, sometimes zoning maps do not do this. Sometimes, zoning maps...more
In a February 7, 2025 decision in Simon v. Sunoco Pipeline LP, No. 2015-3302 (Wash. Cty. February 7, 2025), the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County, Pennsylvania concluded that Sunoco Pipeline LP and Sunoco Logistics...more
2/24/2025
/ Eminent Domain ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
FERC ,
Infrastructure ,
Jurisdiction ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pennsylvania ,
Pipelines ,
Property Owners ,
Public Utility ,
State and Local Government
Leases for solar energy facilities offer property owners the potential for a predictable, long-term revenue stream. But, because of the potential decades-long duration of a lease for solar energy facilities, things like...more
In a July 17, 2024 Opinion, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided in AUUE, Inc. v. Borough of Jefferson Hills Zoning Hearing Board, No. 28 WAP 2022, ___ A.3d ___ (Pa. 2024), that the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code...more
Before signing oil and gas leases, landowners should pay close attention to lease provisions asking for warranties and representations about prior oil and gas development on the land. These provisions are often buried in a...more
On June 20, 2023, Pennsylvania State Senators Yaw, Robinson, Stefano and Vogel introduced Senate Bill 831, the “Carbon Capture and Sequestration Act” with the intent to address the use of pore space for carbon sequestration....more
A dual purpose oil and gas lease transitions into its secondary term, and remains in its secondary term, if oil and gas is produced from the leasehold or if the leasehold is used for oil and gas storage. See, Smith v....more
Solar farm developers who do not enter into surface use agreements with Pennsylvania oil, gas and mineral owners (and their lessees) could create legal jeopardy for their solar farm projects. All surface developments in...more