The International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague thrust itself into the energy/climate debate last week. Via a unanimous advisory opinion issued in connection with a complaint filed by the nation of Vanuatu, the ICJ...more
The steam engine, the assembly line, the internet –most major transformations in economic systems are driven by innovations in technology or organizational principles, innovations that lower the costs of goods or increase...more
Alabama AG Steve Marshall, joined by 24 other Republican AGs, filed an amicus curiae brief urging the Supreme Court of Maryland to dismiss three consolidated climate lawsuits brought by Maryland local governments against...more
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced June 25 that she is directing New York Power Authority to add at least one gigawatt of new nuclear power generation by building a zero-emission nuclear power plant somewhere in upstate New...more
Over a month after Canada’s federal elections, the country is still trying to sort out exactly who won and by how much. If this sounds eerily familiar to Bush vs. Gore in 2000, there is a good reason for this...more
On December 18, 2024, the Montana Supreme Court ruled in the case of Held v. Montana, finding that the Montana Environmental Policy Act ("MEPA") violated the state's constitution. In the midst of great change to the federal...more
In welcome news for developers and stakeholders in new carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and fossil-fueled energy transition projects, on 22 May 2025, England’s Court of Appeal dismissed an application for...more
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi is expected to release a report any day detailing the Justice Department’s upcoming plans to combat “state overreach,” which is seen as impeding the Trump administration’s energy dominance...more
The first few months of the new US administration have brought sweeping changes to the country’s environmental regulatory landscape. Through a spate of executive orders, agency directives, and staffing restructurings, the...more
In the latest NEPA news, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the withdrawal of its interim guidance on “Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate...more
Following up on our previous posts on United States energy policy under the Trump Administration, we are writing with an update on recent State Attorney General (AG) action in response to the Trump Administration’s climate...more
Even as the Trump administration moves to block state and local climate liability efforts, states and municipalities continue to advance lawsuits seeking to hold fossil fuel companies liable for harms associated with climate...more
The U.S. Department of Justice filed lawsuits against New York and several other states, challenging their newly enacted state Superfund laws (Superfund lawsuits). The laws aim to address the environmental damages attributed...more
On May 1, 2025, the federal government brought separate suits against both New York and Vermont alleging that these state’s “climate Superfund” statutes are unconstitutional on multiple grounds. In two nearly identical...more
Recently, both the State of Hawaii and the State of Michigan had announced that they would be pursuing litigation against fossil fuel companies concerning alleged damages stemming from the companies' contribution to climate...more
President Trump’s executive orders prioritize energy production from fossil fuels and pause both onshore and offshore wind projects....more
On April 8, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14260, Protecting American Energy From State Overreach. Framed as part of the Administration’s broader strategy of unleashing American energy, the Order directs...more
President Trump’s energy-focused ambitions will generate work for regulators at all levels of the government....more
In the twelve weeks since Inauguration Day, President Trump has issued dozens of executive orders, a number of which are designed to reverse the nation’s momentum on clean energy and climate action. He has sought to upend...more
President Donald Trump on April 9, 2025, issued an executive order (EO) titled "Protecting American Energy from State Overreach." The EO aims at "unleashing American energy" by removing legal restrictions imposed by state...more
On April 8, 2025, President Trump issued a series of executive orders directing the federal government to analyze state-level climate policies targeting fossil fuel consumption and environmental regulations. This action...more
The executive order calls for the removal of federal regulatory barriers that hinder coal production. This will likely involve significant work to navigate and implement these changes, ensuring compliance while maximizing the...more
A Peruvian farmer's climate action lawsuit against a German energy company was continued recently before the Higher Regional Court in Hamm, Germany....more
Among the 37 executive orders signed by President Trump in his first week in office, there are several that address the regulation of energy and the environment. While it may be too soon to know the lasting effect of these...more
“At the heart of President Trump’s effort to expansively redefine the power of the presidency is a struggle for control of the government’s purse strings, underscoring the aphorism that money is power.” — Howard Schweitzer,...more