After years of proposed state privacy legislation, Massachusetts lawmakers are poised to once again consider enacting a comprehensive state consumer privacy law in the Commonwealth this legislative session. At a hearing of...more
We previously reported on New York State’s enactment of the Climate Change Superfund Act (the “Climate Superfund Act” or the “Act”), groundbreaking legislation that seeks to recover $75 billion from fossil fuel producers for...more
3/12/2025
/ Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New York ,
Oil & Gas ,
Superfund
On Monday, March 3, 2025, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell finalized new regulations under the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, Chapter 93A, restricting the use of hidden or surprise fees at the end of a...more
As readers of this space will have noted, geothermal energy is one of the few renewable sources treated positively by early Trump Administration efforts to attain “energy dominance.” Given the favorable treatment of...more
On January 14, 2025, President Biden signed an Executive Order to advance the United States’ leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. This comprehensive directive underscores the critical role of AI in...more
1/17/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Clean Energy ,
Data Centers ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Geothermal Energy ,
Infrastructure ,
National Security ,
Renewable Energy
With the incoming Trump administration poised for an attack on federal environmental regulations, states are quickly emerging with actions on climate change. On December 26, 2024, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into...more
1/10/2025
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Air Act ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
State and Local Government ,
Superfund
As a further update to our blog series on the landmark 2024 Massachusetts Clean Energy Bill, this post summarizes some changes to Massachusetts law affecting natural gas use. Previous posts addressed how the Clean Energy Bill...more
1/9/2025
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
Natural Gas ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Renewable Energy ,
Utilities Sector
This is another installment of our blog series on the landmark 2024 Massachusetts Clean Energy Bill, signed into law on November 21, 2024. Previous posts addressed how the Clean Energy Bill aims to transform the deployment of...more
On April 17, 2024, the Virgin Islands Cannabis Advisory Board (“VICAB”) approved regulations outlining the requirements for its new adult-use cannabis program, including details regarding the competitive merit-based...more
11/13/2024
/ Business Licenses ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Deadlines ,
Dispensaries ,
License Applications ,
Manufacturers ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Research and Development ,
Virgin Islands
Cyberattacks on U.S. energy infrastructure have been on the rise in 2024. According to the 2024 Thales Data Threat Report, 42% of critical infrastructure companies, including those in the energy sector, suffered data breaches...more
In this Issue: Permitting Reform, the Supreme Court, EV’s, and Climate Week 2024 -
After nearly a decade as New York State’s environmental chief, I recently joined Foley Hoag to help the firm’s clients emerge as global...more
9/19/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Electricity ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Reform ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Renewable Energy ,
Utilities Sector
On August 29, 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (“DPU”) issued a highly anticipated order approving the Electric Sector Modernization Plans (“ESMPs”) filed by the three Massachusetts electric distribution...more
Last month, we recapped the recent activity of state Attorneys General in the artificial intelligence (AI) space, including relevant enforcement actions, state legislative and policy development, and coalition letters to...more
4/22/2024
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Data Security ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Notification Requirements ,
Privacy Policy ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General
In 2020, when former President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law, the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) referred to previous guidance to indicate that businesses...more
Massachusetts has become the first state to require analysis of cumulative impacts for certain air quality permits in or near communities with environmental justice (EJ) populations. On March 29, 2024, the Massachusetts...more
The evolving use of artificial intelligence (AI) across different industries has thrust states into a difficult and rapidly developing regulatory arena. State Attorneys General have and will continue to play an essential role...more
3/22/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
Data Breach ,
Data Collection ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
FCC ,
Online Platforms ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Social Media ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General ,
U.S. Commerce Department
On February 15, 2024, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) released Massachusetts’ inaugural Environmental Justice Strategy (“EJ Strategy”), a comprehensive set of initiatives and...more