The Continuing Impact of Coal Ash - Energy Law Insights
Volume 9, Issue 7 Welcome to our seventh issue of Currents 2025. In this issue, we look at the changing tides for coal, the new NEPA procedures, West Virginians desire for lower cost energy, southwestern Virginia's newest...more
What is the Hydrogen Hubbub? Hydrogen is seen by many as the fuel of the future, a substance that can provide heat through combustion, or electrical power from fuel cells, emitting only water in the process. Its potential...more
The explosion and fire of a tanker truck just north of Center City Philadelphia, leading to the collapse of sections of Interstate 95, one of the most heavily traveled roads in the United States and the chief highway...more
An Uncertain Future for Nuclear Generation - As countries and companies around the world set goals for renewable energy targets, there is constant uncertainty as to the best path for reaching these goals. While wind and...more
The Cost of "Electrification" “Electrification” has become a ubiquitous term these days, although depending on who you ask, it might have different meanings. However defined, a critical component of electrification as a...more
Report Claims ESG-focused US Shale Producers Perform Better Over Time - “'It is clear that ESG performance impacts investor appetite, even though ESG scores have not been the lead indicator of stock growth during the...more
Gas Gap in Europe Drives U.S. LNG Exports to Record High - "About half of the record U.S. LNG volumes shipped last month went to Europe, up from 37% earlier in 2021." Why this is important: The onset of a challenging...more
FERC Warned Renewables Planning Can Strand Grid Assets - "But at a FERC technical conference, others highlighted a potential risk for overbuilding and the cost it could incur for consumers." Why this is important: It's...more
German Regulator Puts Brake on Nord Stream 2 in Fresh Blow to Gas Pipeline - "First flows through the pipeline look very unlikely in the first half of 2022, he added." Why this is important: It is estimated that Russia...more
Coal Power to Increase for First Time Since 2014, US Says - "The amount of electricity produced by coal plants is expected to tick up 22% in 2021, reversing coal’s six-year downward trend." Why this is important: For...more
Ford Building Massive Electric Vehicle and Battery Plants with $11.4 Billion Investment "Automaker says production hubs will bring 11,000 jobs to Tennessee and Kentucky." Why this is important: Ford Motor Company and...more
How a Colorado Coal Plant Could Become a Massive Battery for Renewable Energy - "If the idea works, it could be a case study for other communities trying to preserve jobs and property taxes as the world shifts to cleaner...more
Gas Stations Run Dry as Pipeline Races to Recover From Hacking - "Gas stations along the U.S. East Coast are beginning to run out of fuel as North America’s biggest petroleum pipeline races to recover from a paralyzing...more
Shot Heard Across Texas: San Antonio Gets a Temporary Restraining Order Against ERCOT - "CPS Energy, the municipal electric utility serving San Antonio and the surrounding area, has won the first skirmish against the...more
WV Legislature Adopts Compromise Amendment to Natural Gas Property Tax Bill - "HB 2581 would provide a revised methodology to value oil and natural gas properties by the State Tax Commissioner in response to a West...more
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf Floats Natural Gas Tax to Pay for $3 Billion Pandemic Recovery Plan - "Long a proponent of an extraction tax, Wolf said it could pay for improvements to workforce training and support, remove...more
Asia's switch from coal to natural gas is driven by stricter emission standards, low natural gas prices, and more efficient new natural gas turbine technology. The overwhelming consensus seems to be that thermal coal is on...more
Renewables to Dominate New U.S. Power Capacity in 2021 - "Renewable energy, mostly solar and wind, are set to account for more than two-thirds of the new electricity generation capacity that the United States will...more
Welcome to our first issue of 2021! We have been publishing a weekly edition of Currents since 2017 and hope that you find it informative and helpful. Our goal for 2021 is the same -- provide access to interesting and...more
Looking ahead, here are a few themes I think will play a role in 2021, which are a continuation or evolution of where we’ve been in 2020....more
Welcome to our 46th issue of Currents for 2020. Our Energy Practice Group looked at current energy articles, and we also explain the significance of every article. These issues peaked our interest this week, and we have...more
Overview of the current energy mix, and the place in the market of different energy sources - Due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. total energy consumption in 2020 is on pace to decline for a second straight...more
New Law Pushes Appalachian Power Toward More Renewable Energy - "Appalachian — which for years has relied heavily on coal and more recently natural gas to serve about 500,000 western Virginia customers — will acquire 210...more
U.S. Department of Energy: Oil and Gas Production to Account for 68 Percent of Energy Consumption Over Next Two Decades - "Natural gas is increasingly powering plants to produce electricity, but oil and natural gas are...more
West Virginia Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Horizontal Drilling Taxation Case Involving Antero - "At issue is a consumer sales tax assessment of around $1 million the West Virginia State Tax Department has levied on...more