In the recent case of Friends of the Earth v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities & others; South Lakeland Action on Climate Change v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities & others...more
The Biden administration on Tuesday announced a goal to protect and restore 8 million acres of wetlands over the next six years in an effort to counter development pressures and recently weakened federal regulations. The new...more
Incoming: Mandatory Climate Risk Disclosures in Australia - The Climate-Related Financial Disclosure Consultation Paper proposes that, commencing with the 2024/2025 financial year, large, listed entities and large...more
A controversial decision to approve a new coal mine in Cumbria, England, which will seek to supply coking coal to be used in the steel-making industry, is being challenged. Friends of the Earth ("FOE") and the South Lakes...more
In a setback for climate change claimants, on 15 March 2022 a three-judge panel of the Full Federal Court of Australia overturned the earlier decision of the Federal Court of Australia in Sharma v Minister for the...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
On September 8, 2020, the law firm Equity Generation Lawyers filed a class action on behalf of young people globally, seeking an injunction to restrain the Australian Government's Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley,...more
Exxon Mobil: Doubling Down While Facing Peak Oil Demand - "With most competitors pivoting away from upstream growth, Exxon continues to press ahead with investments despite very challenging current price environment for...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
Coal Earnings Set to Plunge 50% in North America, Moody's Says - "Earnings for North American coal miners may plunge by more than half this year as the coronavirus pandemic makes a weak market even worse, according to...more
China Resumes LNG Imports from the U.S. - "Chinese buyers have resumed imports of liquefied natural gas from U.S. exporters, as Beijing started granting waivers to a 25% import tariff." Why this is important: In the...more
Energy-Related CO2 Emissions ‘Flatlined’ Last Year, IEA Says, Raising Hopes About Climate - "Global emissions remained at approximately 33 gigatonnes in 2019 despite the world economy growing by 2.9%, the IEA said." ...more
Chevron to Take $10B+ Write-Down - "More than half the write-down is related to gas drilling operations in Appalachia." Why this is important: In recent years, the pressure to reduce carbon emissions has affected...more
Judge Rules Against Oil Companies to Keep Climate Liability Case in Rhode Island - "The ruling will allow Rhode Island prosecutors to continue to bring charges against 21 oil and gas producers including Chevron, Shell and...more
Oil Drops More Than 3% After State Secretary Pompeo Says Iran Is Ready To Negotiate About Its Missile Program - "Oil prices turned lower on Tuesday, falling by about $2 a barrel as U.S. President Donald Trump said progress...more
After receiving an analysis showing that shutting the Jim Bridger and Naughton coal-fired electric generating plants in Wyoming would save ratepayers money, PacificCorp, the owner of the plants, announced that it would shut...more
Judge Delivers Major Setback to Trump Policy to Increase Coal Mining on Federal Land - "But the court ruling does say that the 2017 Trump administration policy, enacted by former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, to overturn...more
Trump Signs Orders to Speed Up Oil and Gas Pipeline Construction - "President Trump signed two executive orders that he says will speed up construction of pipelines and other projects to enhance the production and...more
Trump Said to Seek Limits on State Power in Pipeline Approvals - "Trump's order comes as the president continues to chafe at regulatory barriers he says throttle the full potential of American 'energy dominance,' while...more
Activists Have a New Strategy to Block Gas Pipelines: State's Rights - "It already has worked in New York where construction on the Constitution Pipeline has stalled. Now activists are trying the strategy in Oregon." ...more
Russian Interference in America's Energy Sector - "America's oil and gas production is booming of late, with the U.S. poised to become the world's largest exporter of crude oil. Domestic natural gas also is ramping up,...more
Oil Soars After Trump Nixes Iran Nuclear Deal, Stocks Rally - "Crude oil prices rose more than 3 percent on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from a nuclear accord with Iran, a move that...more
An Interview with Bill Raney, President of West Virginia Coal Association - Nick Preservati, Co-Chair of Spilman's Energy Practice Group, recently sat down with Bill Raney, President of the West Virginia Coal Association...more
California's Ready to Retaliate if Trump Cuts Auto Rules, Sources Say - "As the Trump administration begins to dismantle Barack Obama's ambitious auto efficiency regulations, California is said to be poised to retaliate...more