On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) (P.L. 119-21), which includes a number of tax law changes that directly impact the energy industry. A significant number of the...more
The methodology outlines a three-step approach for obtaining credits: retirement of coal-fired power plants, generation of replacement renewable electricity, and assurance of a just transition....more
After two years of continuous behind-the-scenes work, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va), who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, joined by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), released S. 4753, the Energy...more
The Virginia Clean Energy Act, the Botetourt County Battery Power Facility and the Impact on the Commonwealth - The Virginia Clean Energy Act (“VCEA”) mandates that Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power, the two...more
GOP Attorneys General Sue Labor Department Over ESG Rule - “GOP senators, joined by Manchin, oppose the new rule, which gives asset managers more freedom.” Why this is important: The article describes reaction to...more
In June 2022, the Contracting Parties to the Energy Charter Treaty ("ECT") announced an agreement in principle on the text of a modernized treaty. This modernization may have material consequences for state regulation and...more
Blocking funding for gas energy projects in Africa may seem like sensible climate policy. But is it? Although the generally accepted ultimate goal is to replace fossil fuels entirely, there is a strong case for starting by...more
With an attendance of more than 190 world leaders, the long-awaited twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties (COP26) concluded with agreement on the Glasglow Climate Pact and the Paris Rulebook. Amid mixed views of whether...more
If 2020 was the year of the great energy disconnect, 2021 was the year the people carrying out the energy debate appeared to be living on different planets, floating aimlessly through time and space and never intersecting...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
U.S. Shale Producers Race for Federal Permits Ahead of Presidential Election - "Federal permitting in the largest U.S. oilfield in the Permian Basin, located in Texas and New Mexico, is up 80 percent in about the last three...more
Trump Administration Approves Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for Land Leasing, Oil Drilling - "The Trump administration continues to roll back environmental protections and opening doors for the fossil fuel industry in...more
China's New Coal Projects Make Up 90% of Global Total for First Half of 2020: Study - "Global coal-fired generation capacity saw a net decline of 2.9 gigawatts from January to June, the first drop on record for a six-month...more
ExxonMobil, Partners Discover Carbon Capture Technology for Industrial Sources - "A possible breakthrough in technology that could capture more than 90% of carbon dioxide emitted from industrial sources has been announced...more
Chevron’s Patience Pays Off with Bargain Deal for Noble Energy - "Like Anadarko, Noble is also a major player in the oil-rich DJ Basin of Colorado, as well as the oil-rich southwestern piece of the Eagle Ford Shale region." ...more
On 12/5/19 the California Environmental Justice Alliance, Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife and the Public Advocates Office submitted an application for rehearing and clarification of D.19-02-007. The parties allege that the...more
On March 13, 2020, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed House Bill 74 (HB 74) into law. After the Governor signed HB 74, it became House Enrolled Act 60....more
The UAE Gets Green Light to Operate the Arab World’s First Nuclear Power Plant - "The project, which national officials describe as a strategic and economic imperative for the UAE, is more than a decade in the making and...more
Analysts Say U.S. Coal Merger Not Anti-Competitive- "The proposed 'extraordinary' joint venture between U.S. coal majors Peabody Energy and Arch Coal will be structurally beneficial, rather than anti-competitive for U.S....more
West Virginia Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in EQT Doddridge County Trespassing Case - "The state Supreme Court will decide if a lower court judge got it right when he ruled natural gas production company EQT trespassed...more
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal Would Reshape the Economy in 10 Years. That Could Shock the Energy Sector. "The concern is that Ocasio-Cortez's plan to achieve climate goals in just 10 years will not only tee up...more
WV Supreme Court Mulls Marcellus Shale Mass Litigation Case from Harrison, WV - "While the case centers on Harrison County, where the surface owners live and the Marcellus Shale operations are underway, the case could have...more
U.S. to Give Eight Nations Oil Waivers Under Iran Sanctions, Official Says - "The U.S. has agreed to let eight countries - including Japan, India and South Korea - keep buying Iranian oil after it reimposes sanctions on the...more
How DC Unleashed Fossil-Fuel Exports Despite Climate Worries - "Since Donald Trump took office in 2017, exports of LNG and crude oil have surged, rivaling the likes of Saudi Arabia and Russia." Why this is important: The...more
Trump Prepared to Hit China with $60 Billion in Annual Tariffs - "President Trump is preparing to impose a package of $60 billion in annual tariffs against Chinese products, following through on a longtime threat that he...more