As the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden took significant steps on his first day in office to advance the energy and climate initiatives of his administration. This LawFlash provides a brief summary of several...more
1/22/2021
/ Arctic Drilling ,
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ,
Biden Administration ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Reform ,
Fuel Efficiency ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Keystone XL Pipeline ,
Native American Issues ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Paris Agreement ,
Tribal Lands
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proposed revisions to its Policy Statement on Natural Gas and Electric Price Indices (Policy Statement) on December 17 to encourage market participants to report transactions to...more
Following its December 17 open meeting, FERC issued an order withdrawing and terminating a proceeding that had been opened earlier this year to examine oil pipeline affiliate contracts. FERC initiated that proceeding on...more
The US Department of Energy (DOE or Department) finalized a rulemaking proceeding last week that revises its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing procedures pertaining to certain authorizations under the...more
12/8/2020
/ Biden Administration ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Exports ,
FERC ,
Liquid Natural Gas ,
Natural Gas ,
Natural Gas Act ,
NEPA ,
Oil & Gas ,
Regulatory Reform
In response to President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a notice that it does not intend to...more
In response to the US president’s declaration of a national emergency due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, on March 20 the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a notice to operators...more
A cyberattack on a single gas compression facility resulted in the shutdown of a natural gas pipeline for two days, according to a recent alert from the US Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure...more
2/26/2020
/ Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) ,
Data Breach ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Emergency Response ,
Hackers ,
Information Technology ,
National Security ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Popular ,
Ransomware ,
Risk Management ,
Supply Chain ,
Threat Management
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA’s) long-awaited final rule on the minimum safety standards for underground natural gas storage facilities (UNGSFs) was published in the February 12 Federal...more
2/19/2020
/ Energy Policy ,
Final Rules ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
PHMSA ,
PIPES Act ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Safety Standards ,
Underground Storage Tanks
On June 14, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit vacated and remanded two challenged orders and directed FERC to explain or reconsider whether data made available after a challenged rate increase becomes effective...more
Recent developments over the last several weeks have intensified the ongoing struggle between the current administration of President Donald Trump and the federal judicial system concerning energy policy as it relates to the...more
The US Supreme Court has denied a petition for certiorari filed by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, which challenged a decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit concerning Pennsylvania’s water quality...more
Rate reductions across the natural gas sector could materialize as a result of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s ongoing investigation of benefits gained by the recent reduction in the federal corporate income tax...more
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is seeking stakeholder comments through a Notice of Inquiry as it contemplates updating its policy statement on how FERC-jurisdictional facilities are reviewed and authorized....more
Over a half dozen natural gas rate proceedings are expected to be initiated in 2018, many of which will raise issues such as the impact of the new tax laws on rates and the inclusion of a pipeline modernization tracker in...more
The newly enacted legislation further bolsters PHMSA’s growing oversight of storage and pipeline transport facilities.
On June 22, US President Barack Obama signed the Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and...more
6/29/2016
/ Barack Obama ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Agency Taskforce ,
FERC ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
PHMSA ,
Pipelines ,
PIPES Act ,
Public Safety
Movants must clear high hurdle once parties reach settlement in principle.
On March 9, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the Commission) issued an order in Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, LLC (Maritimes...more
3/15/2016
/ Administrative Appeals ,
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Federal Power Act ,
FERC ,
Intervenors ,
Limitation Periods ,
Natural Gas Act ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Standard of Review
Decision establishes framework for future rulings that covenants in midstream agreements do not run with the land.
On March 8, Judge Shelley C. Chapman of the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York...more