It has been a long-standing cardinal rule in Pennsylvania that municipal authorities were beyond the regulatory reach of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (“PUC”). ...more
In a June 13, 2025 decision, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court held that a municipality impermissibly granted conditional use approval to an oil and gas well pad and interconnect facility on tax lots that were already...more
GM Berkshire Hills LLC v. Berks County Board of Assessment (2023 Pa. LEXIS 272, February 28, 2023) – – Split Supreme Court Ruling Enables Taxing Body Assessment Appeals Based on Recent Sales to Remain - Counties, schools...more
In February 2021, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) issued a declaratory order finding that a utility did not need to pay certain municipal permitting fees because those fees were preempted by the Pennsylvania...more
Degliomini v. ESM Productions, Inc. and City of Philadelphia, 253 A.3d 226 (Pa. June 22, 2021) (Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that pre-injury exculpatory release granting city immunity from duty to maintain city streets...more
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Code (Code) gives the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) extensive authority to regulate public utilities in Pennsylvania. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has held that the General...more
The Pennsylvania (PA) Supreme Court issued its unanimous decision on August 20 in PPL Electric Utilities Corp. v. City of Lancaster, invalidating a municipality’s efforts to impose annual fees on utilities to occupy public...more
At 5:00 a.m. yesterday, a portion of the newly-built Revolution pipeline exploded in Center Township, Beaver County, western Pennsylvania. Luckily nobody was hurt, but one home, two garages, a barn and several vehicles were...more
On June 1, 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued an opinion in Gorsline v. Bd. of Sup. of Fairfield Twp., which stressed the importance of municipalities’ zoning ordinances stating explicitly where oil and gas drilling...more
In City of Allentown, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered the City to implement an interest arbitration award which contained (among modifications to wages, sick leave, vacation, pension and overtime) a minimum staffing...more
Scott Enterprises, Inc. v. City of Allentown, 142 A.3d 779 (Pa. 2016) — Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that a jury finding of bad faith does not mandate a trial court to award penalties and attorney fees under the...more
While many key provisions of Act 13 have now been struck down by the Supreme Court’s two Robinson decisions, much of the Act remains. Act 13 of 2012 represented a major overhaul of Pennsylvania’s oil and gas law and...more