On 27 September 2024, the European Commission (“EC”) published draft rules defining “low-carbon hydrogen” and derivative “low-carbon fuels” in the EU (the “Draft Low-Carbon Hydrogen DA”). A public consultation is now open...more
The Environmental Protection Agency intends to issue a rule updating its Clean Air Act emission standards for new and existing municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills to cut methane and other harmful landfill gas emissions....more
The Biden-Harris Administration recently issued a suite of new rules aimed at addressing water and air quality, reducing methane emissions, protecting environmental justice communities, and accelerating the nation’s...more
COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber convened a small group discussion on Sunday to discuss outstanding issues on adaptation and equitable transitions ahead of updated draft texts. A new round of draft texts is expected on Monday...more
Good afternoon! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past week and forthcoming climate-related events and hearings......more
Biomethane is indistinguishable from natural gas and can be deployed as a drop-in renewable replacement to natural gas without the need for adaptation of network infrastructure or end-user equipment. The scale of...more
ESG is increasingly vying for airtime in oil and gas boardrooms as leaders grapple with how best tackle environmental, social and governance challenges. This follows a trend of ESG support throughout all sectors of the U.S....more
Extensive negotiations focused on finalizing the details of a “rulebook” for an international carbon market under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The 27th annual Conference of Parties (COP27) of the United Nations...more
The Supreme Court of New Mexico (“Court”) addressed in a December 16th opinion the legality of the 2018 Annual Renewable Energy Plan (the “2018 Plan”) between El Paso Electric Company (“El Paso Electric”), a public utility...more
Many stakeholders have called for the United States to adopt a carbon tax. Such a tax could raise billions of dollars in annual revenue while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Several carbon tax proposals were...more
While the texts of environmental laws do not change without an act of Congress, executive branch agencies that enforce those laws have a great deal of discretion in what kinds of violations to prioritize for investigation and...more
Overview of the current energy mix, and the place in the market of different energy sources - Due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. total energy consumption in 2020 is on pace to decline for a second straight...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
Russian, Colombian Competition Continuing to Slow U.S. Thermal Coal Exports - "'Central Appalachian and Northern Appalachian exports remain out of the money for shipment to Europe and Illinois Basin coal has significant...more
New Sulfur Caps for Shipping Fuels Will Help Make the Shale Boom Even Bigger "Now the shale revolution will help shippers across the world comply with the International Maritime Organization's 2020 standards, called "IMO...more
Property Owners Along Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline in Lancaster County Get Another Round of Letters "The letters issued notice of intent to file liens if MacAllister didn't receive timely payment of about $1.02 million it...more
China's Provinces are Secretly Building Coal Plants in Defiance of the National Government - "CoalSwarm, a global network of researchers tracking fossil-fuel infrastructure, analyzed satellite imagery as of July 2018, and...more
As Storm Looms, 4th Circuit Reverses Ruling Against Dominion on Coal Ash Pollution at Chesapeake Site - "Water pollution from a coal ash landfill and settling ponds at a closed power plant in Chesapeake is not a violation of...more
Last week, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) promulgated final regulations to ensure that the Commonwealth will meet the 2020 statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions limits mandated by the...more
President Trump’s decision earlier this month to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement—an international, nonbinding agreement to take steps to limit global temperature rise—followed a series of moves at the...more
A Note from the Editors - Our May edition of Energy Technology Connections brings you recent industry highlights and features a list of upcoming energy industry events throughout the nation. In Event Highlights, we feature...more
This month’s Washington Update provides insight into a number of energy-related developments at the federal level, including President Trump’s recently proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2018, the Senate’s failed efforts to turn...more
As previously reported, President-elect Donald Trump’s victory could have profound implications for federal environmental regulation. Although the scope of the intended regulatory changes remains uncertain, President-elect...more
The 2016 election results have significant implications for companies across a wide range of industry sectors. From environmental policy to financial services to tax reform, President-elect Trump has committed to sweeping...more
Energy and Climate Debate - The winter weather postponed much congressional and Administrative action on energy, environment, and other issues this week, but the Senate has now officially begun floor debate on the first...more