Trump Official Tells Coal Group He's 'an Advocate for the Coal Industry'
"'The good news is I'm with the federal government and I'm here to help,' Doug Matheney, a special adviser in the Energy Department's Office of...more
2/2/2018
/ BP ,
Charging Stations ,
China ,
Coal ,
Coal Industry ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Sector ,
Exports ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Local Ordinance ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
OPEC ,
Power Plants ,
State Bans ,
Trump Administration
West Virginia Surface, Mineral Rights Owners Say Details Will be Key to Getting Co-Tenancy Bill Passed -
"Surface and mineral rights owners most affected by co-tenancy legislation say they're wary of jumping on the...more
1/26/2018
/ Asia ,
China ,
Co-Ownership ,
Coal ,
Coal Industry ,
Earthquakes ,
Energy Sector ,
Exports ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Fracking ,
Imports ,
Infrastructure ,
Infrastructure Financing ,
Investment Funds ,
Liquid Natural Gas ,
Mineral Rights ,
Minerals ,
Natural Gas ,
Netherlands ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Prices ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rare Earth Metals ,
Russia ,
Trump Administration
Northeast Could be Second U.S. Petrochemical Hub -
"'While the region with its ample and reliable supply of ethane is primed for the emergence as a second major petrochemical manufacturing hub in the United States, it...more
1/18/2018
/ BP ,
Climate Change ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Electricity ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Review ,
EU ,
Geothermal Energy ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Petrochemicals ,
Pipelines ,
Public Utilities Commission ,
Renewable Energy ,
Russia ,
Shale Gas ,
Solar Energy ,
Solar Panels ,
Storage Tanks ,
Sustainability ,
UK ,
Utility Rates
Ohio Supreme Court Joins Texas and Oklahoma in Holding the State Does Not Recognize a Separate Implied Covenant to Explore Further -
"We conclude that Ohio does not recognize an 'implied covenant to explore further'...more
1/12/2018
/ Carbon Emissions ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Coal ,
Coal Industry ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Failure To State A Claim ,
FERC ,
Germany ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Implied Covenants ,
Iran ,
Land Owners ,
Mergers ,
Mineral Leases ,
Natural Gas ,
Nuclear Power ,
Obama Administration ,
OH Supreme Court ,
Oil & Gas ,
OPEC ,
Pipelines ,
Renewable Energy ,
Secretary of Energy ,
Subsidies ,
Trump Administration ,
Venezuela
Appalachia Underground NGL Storage Facility Clears Big Hurdle -
"The Appalachia Storage & Trading Hub initiative got approval for the first of two application phases for a $1.9 billion U.S. Department of Energy loan, the...more
1/5/2018
/ BP ,
China ,
Coal ,
Corporate Taxes ,
Electricity ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Fracking ,
Futures ,
Gas Royalties ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Russia ,
Severe Weather ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Trees ,
Trump Administration
Trump Delivers a Mixed Message on His National Security Approach -
"In another shift from his predecessor, Mr. Trump's strategy does not recognize the changing climate as a threat to national security. The document instead...more
12/22/2017
/ Air Pollution ,
America First Trade Policy ,
China ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Coal Industry ,
Energy Costs ,
FERC ,
Fracking ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
International Energy Agency (IEA) ,
National Security ,
Natural Gas ,
NERC ,
Nuclear Power ,
Obama Administration ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Prices ,
OPEC ,
Pipelines ,
Renewable Energy ,
Shale Gas ,
Solar Energy ,
Trump Administration ,
Wastewater
Virginia Agency Takes Unexpected Step that Could Delay Gas Pipeline Project -
"The State Water Control Board approved permits for the $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which is backed by Dominion Energy, but took the...more
12/19/2017
/ Bitcoin ,
China ,
Coal Industry ,
Coal Mines ,
Earthquakes ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
FERC ,
Fracking ,
Funding ,
ING ,
Nuclear Power ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Prices ,
Permits ,
Pipelines ,
Renewable Energy ,
Research and Development ,
Saudi Arabia ,
Steel Industry ,
Utilities Sector ,
Water Control Board ,
World Bank
WV DEP Waives Clean Water Act Authority Over Atlantic Coast Pipeline -
"The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection waived the state's authority under the federal Clean Water Act to determine if another major...more
12/8/2017
/ Biofuel ,
China ,
Clean Water Act ,
Coal Mines ,
Department of Environmental Protection ,
Energy Policy ,
EU ,
Exit Strategies ,
Farms ,
Global Warming ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Investment Funds ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
OPEC ,
Partnerships ,
Pass-Through Entities ,
Pipelines ,
Power Plants ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Shale Gas ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Reform ,
Transportation Industry ,
Trump Administration ,
Waivers
EPA Hosts Public Hearing in Charleston on Clean Power Plan -
"Those who favored repeal cited coal jobs and economic concerns, saying they fear if the plan were implemented, it would negatively affect coal jobs and along...more
12/1/2017
/ China ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Coal ,
Coal Mines ,
Energy Market ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EU ,
Foreign Investment ,
Global Marketplace ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Prices ,
OPEC ,
Pipelines ,
Power Plants ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Renewable Energy ,
Shale Gas ,
Spain
Wheeling Resident David Zatezalo Confirmed to Lead MSHA -
"In a strict party-line vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed Wheeling resident David Zatezalo to lead the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. The vote to...more
11/17/2017
/ China ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Coal Mines ,
Construction Permits ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Exports ,
Foreign Investment ,
Liability Insurance ,
Liquid Natural Gas ,
Marcellus Shale ,
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) ,
MSHA ,
Obama Administration ,
Oil & Gas ,
OPEC ,
Pipelines ,
Power Outages ,
Public Comment ,
Renewable Energy ,
Repeal ,
Section 401 ,
Senate Confirmation Hearings ,
Shale Gas ,
Stormwater Discharge Permits ,
Trump Administration ,
Wetlands
China Energy Investment Signs MOU for $83.7 Billion in West Virginia Projects
"China Energy Investment Corp, the world's largest power company by asset value, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to invest $83.7...more
11/10/2017
/ Canada ,
Chemicals ,
Chevron ,
China ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Easements ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Electricity ,
Eminent Domain ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Storage ,
Energy Trading ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fracking ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Investment Funds ,
Land Owners ,
Memorandum of Agreement ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Prices ,
OPEC ,
Regulatory Takings ,
Repeal ,
Shale Gas ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Reform ,
Tesla ,
Trump Administration
Drive for ANWR Oil Bonanza Could Prove to be a Bust for the Republicans' Budget -
"Congressional Republicans counting on a $1 billion windfall from selling oil-drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to help...more
11/6/2017
/ Advisory Committee ,
Alaska ,
Arctic Drilling ,
China ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
India ,
Infrastructure ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Panels ,
Tariffs ,
TransCanada ,
Trump Administration
Department of Interior Rescinds OSM Enforcement Policies -
On October 12, 2017, the Department of the Interior ("DOI") withdrew two prior Office of Surface Mining ("OSM") policies affecting mining operations. DOI rescinded...more
10/19/2017
/ Clean Water Act ,
Coal Industry ,
Coal-Fired Plants ,
Department of the Interior ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
FERC ,
Investment Tax Credits ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
JPOA ,
Marcellus Shale ,
Natural Gas ,
Office of Surface Mining (OSM) ,
Oil & Gas ,
OPEC ,
Petrochemicals ,
Pipelines ,
Plant Closures ,
Renewable Energy ,
Rescission ,
Settlement ,
Shale Gas ,
SMCRA ,
Solar Energy ,
Trump Administration ,
Wind Power
EPA Moves to Repeal Obama's Clean Power Plan Coal Regs -
"EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced Monday that the Trump administration is moving to scrap the Clean Power Plan, the Obama administration's signature...more
10/13/2017
/ Citizen Suits ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fracking Bans ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mineral Leases ,
Mining ,
Motion To Stay ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Preemption ,
Repeal ,
Solar Energy ,
Tax Deductions ,
Trump Administration ,
WV Supreme Court
An Obscure Statute Is Helping Trump Save U.S. Coal, Nuclear -
"Rick Perry is using an authority granted to him as U.S. energy secretary to call on the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to change its rules...more
10/6/2017
/ China ,
Coal Industry ,
Delays ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Sector ,
Exports ,
Gas Royalties ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Imports ,
Methane ,
Mineral Leases ,
National Security ,
Natural Gas ,
North Korea ,
Nuclear Power ,
Obama Administration ,
Oil & Gas ,
OPEC ,
Russia ,
Saudi Arabia ,
Shale Gas ,
Trump Administration ,
Well Drilling
U.S. Crude Exports to Asia May Shake Up Global Oil Pricing: Russell
"The great disruptor that is U.S. shale oil is coming to Asia, as refiners in the energy-hungry region look to expand and diversify
their sources of...more
9/29/2017
/ Biofuel ,
Canada ,
Cap-and-Trade ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Coal Industry ,
Construction Project ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
EU ,
Exports ,
Mining ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Power Infrastructure ,
Presidential Nominations ,
Senate Confirmation Hearings ,
Solid Waste ,
Storage Tanks ,
Trump Administration ,
Utilities Sector
Trump is Still Pulling Out of Paris Agreement, Despite Chatter of a Reversal, Experts Say -
"President Donald Trump is unlikely to reverse his position to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, despite the White House...more
9/22/2017
/ Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Coal Industry ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Liability ,
Global Warming ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Paris Agreement ,
Public Nuisance ,
Rescission ,
State Budgets ,
Trump Administration ,
Well Drilling
- U.S. High Court Asked to Review WV Justice's Role in Gas Royalties Case -
"The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to review West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Beth Walker's participation in a high-stakes natural gas...more
9/16/2017
/ Appeals ,
Certifications ,
Clean Water Act ,
Climate Change ,
Coal Mines ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Exxon Mobil ,
FERC ,
Gas Royalties ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Judicial Review ,
Mineral Leases ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Spills ,
Pipelines ,
Presidential Nominations ,
Renewable Energy ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 401 ,
Senate Confirmation Hearings ,
Settlement ,
Trump Administration ,
Water Quality ,
WV Supreme Court
Groundbreaking Held for New Methanol Plant in Kanawha County, West Virginia -
"US Methanol expects it will open its first American facility, Liberty One, in mid-2018, which will be capable of producing 200,000 metric tons...more
9/9/2017
/ Australia ,
Coal Mines ,
Coal-Fired Plants ,
Croatia ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Electricity ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Extensions ,
Foreign Investment ,
Liquid Natural Gas ,
Methane ,
MSHA ,
Oil & Gas ,
OPEC ,
Power Grid ,
Presidential Nominations ,
Renewable Fuel ,
Renewable Fuel Standard ,
Russia ,
Trump Administration ,
Wind Power
This is our second installment of Currents - our weekly energy news e-blast where we deliver the week's top energy news stories and our synopsis of why those stories are important from a legal perspective.
- Appeals Court...more
9/2/2017
/ Appeals ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Coal Industry ,
Coal-Fired Plants ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Drilling Waste Disposal ,
Electricity ,
Energy Sector ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Gas Royalties ,
Information Reports ,
Local Ordinance ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Power Grid ,
Preemption ,
Reclamation ,
Renewable Energy ,
Sale of Assets ,
Scientific Research ,
Shale Gas ,
Solar Energy ,
Stabilization Issues ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration ,
Wind Power
On May 31, 2017, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals issued a significant opinion regarding the clarification of rights for non-participating royalty interest owners (“NPRI”). In the opinion Gastar Exploration, Inc. v....more
In the current environment of depressed prices for oil, natural gas and related liquids, oil and gas wells, leases and properties are coming on to the market for sale. These assets typically are made available through either...more
The Best Protection - Safeguards in Purchasing Distressed Oil and Gas Assets -
In the current environment of depressed prices for oil, natural gas and related liquids, oil and gas wells, leases and properties are coming...more
Based on a recent decision in West Virginia’s 3rd Judicial Circuit, which includes Doddridge, Pleasants and Ritchie counties, the use of litigation in the form of partition suits may be more problematic than it otherwise has...more