In the first major National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) case to reach the Supreme Court in almost two decades, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision on May 29, 2025, in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v....more
6/2/2025
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Chevron Deference ,
Environmental Impact Statements ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Government Agencies ,
Infrastructure ,
Judicial Review ,
NEPA ,
Oil & Gas ,
Railroads ,
SCOTUS ,
Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v Eagle County Colorado ,
Statutory Interpretation
In his first two days in office, newly inaugurated President Donald J. Trump signed a flurry of Executive Orders, including several aimed at supporting the traditional energy industry. The Unleashing American Energy Executive...more
2/17/2025
/ CEQ ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Impact Statements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Government Agencies ,
NEPA ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration
After little more than a week in office, there is still plenty of speculation, but priorities of the Trump 2.0 Administration are becoming more concrete. Issuance of three energy-focused Executive Orders (Unleashing American...more
1/30/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Alaska ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Department of the Interior ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
FERC ,
Infrastructure ,
NEPA ,
OMB ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Trump Administration
On November 29, 2023, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in a critically important administrative law case, Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, No. 22-859. This case carries enormous potential consequences for...more
12/1/2023
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Article II ,
CFTC ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
FERC ,
Jury Trial ,
Oral Argument ,
SCOTUS ,
SEC v Jarkesy ,
Securities Fraud ,
Seventh Amendment
The Supreme Court ended its 2021 term with a much-anticipated decision in West Virginia v. EPA.1 The 6-to-3 decision held that the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) does not have the authority under Section 111(d) of...more
7/6/2022
/ Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Coal ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
International Energy Agency (IEA) ,
NAAQS ,
Natural Gas ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
West Virginia v EPA
On February 18, 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) issued two important policy statements by a 3-2 vote related to the construction of natural gas facilities....more
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) issued two important policy statements by a 3-2 vote on February 18, 2022 regarding the construction of natural gas facilities. The policy statements make numerous changes to...more
The FAR Council recently published a request for comment seeking public input on how it should consider climate change in government purchasing decisions. The sweeping request applies to providers of both goods and services...more
10/26/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Climate Change ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Decision-Making Process ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Goods or Services ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Public Comment ,
Webinars
While the texts of environmental laws do not change without an act of Congress, executive branch agencies that enforce those laws have a great deal of discretion in what kinds of violations to prioritize for investigation and...more
1/28/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Clean Air Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of Natural Resources ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Methane ,
OECA ,
OIRA ,
Performance Standards ,
Renewable Energy ,
Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) Policy
Each new presidential administration brings with it its own set of policy goals and priorities. While the text of U.S. environmental law does not change without an act of Congress, agencies within the executive branch have a...more
News stories and campaign rhetoric frequently create expectations of immediate shifts following an administration change, but most changes in the federal government happen slowly, and the constraint on resources and time...more
1/20/2021
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Biden Administration ,
Clean Water Act ,
Congressional Review Act ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Policies ,
FERC ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Methane ,
Nationwide Permits (NWPs) ,
Natural Gas Act ,
NEPA ,
Pipelines ,
Trump Administration ,
Waters of the United States