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About Us:
Welcome to the S&W Environmental, Natural Resources, Oil and Gas Law Blog. This blog is a resource for the regulated community to stay current on new developments impacting the environmental, natural resources and energy sectors. It provides timely updates on a broad range of federal, state and local environmental topics — including proposed legislation and government rulemakings — that impact regulated industries throughout the southwest and the nation as a whole.
Topics
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Recent Posts
- DOE Seeks Input on How to Spend $2.5 billion on Transmission Projects
- Office of Environmental Justice & Reviving Supplemental Environmental Projects
- Pushing the United Nations for Recognition of Access to a Clean Environment as a Human Right
- Basin States Agree to Reduced Colorado River Deliveries
- Feds Considering Emergency Reductions to Colorado River Deliveries
FERC Begins to Flex its Jurisdictional Muscles on Carbon Pricing
By Kelly A. Daly Yesterday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) weighed-in on the important role that carbon pricing, associated with state initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, could have on the nation’s electric market. Not surprisingly, as the governmental … Continue reading
Tagged carbon pricing, Federal Power Act, FERC
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Trump vs. Biden: The Important Role that Climate Change, the Environment and Pollution Will Not Play in the 2020 Presidential Election
by Raymond S. Heyman We are just weeks away from the national Presidential election. The two major party candidates, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joseph Biden, could not be farther apart philosophically than they are on the important … Continue reading
Tagged 2020 Presidential Election, Biden, trump
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Ninth Circuit Wetlands Ruling Muddies the Waters for Development Nationwide
by John W. Andrews On Thursday, May 28, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit declined to stay on appeal a lower court ruling which has already had a nationwide impact on permitting of oil and gas … Continue reading
Tagged 404 Permits, nationwide permits, NWP 12, oil and gas, Waters of the United States
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Impact of COVID–19 on Energy and Infrastructure Projects in Arizona and the West: Disruption, Slowdowns, Uncertainty and Virtual Open Houses
by Matt Derstine With states now modifying their stay-at-home orders and social distancing restrictions, the long-term effects of the Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic on energy and infrastructure projects remains unclear. But there have been several immediate impacts ranging from supply chain … Continue reading
Tagged coronavirus, COVID-19, energy, renewable energy, solar
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President Declares National Emergency: Foreign Adversaries Creating Vulnerability in U.S. Electric Grid
by Kelly A. Daly On May 1, 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency relating to threats facing the bulk-electric power system in the United States. Specifically, the President issued Executive Order on Securing the United States Bulk-Power System, which … Continue reading
Tagged electric grid, Executive Order, national emergency, trump
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FERC Issues COVID-19 Response to Address Filing Deadlines and Conferences
by Kelly A. Daly In an effort to ensure Americans have access to reliable energy during this unprecedented time, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) has identified a COVID-19 point of contact and instituted additional procedures to make sure regulated … Continue reading
Tagged coronavirus, COVID-19, FERC, NERC
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PHMSA Issues COVID-19 Notice Relaxing Enforcement Actions for Gas and Liquids Pipelines, Gas Storage Facilities and LNG Facilities
by Kelly A. Daly In response to the Declaration of a National Emergency relating to the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety issued an important notice to operators … Continue reading
Tagged coronavirus, COVID-19, PHMSA, pipeline
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The NRC Responds to Nuclear Plant Work-Hour Concerns Prompted by COVID-19
by Kelly Daly The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that it is prepared to grant temporary exemptions from work-hour controls when the COVID-19 virus adversely impacts staffing levels at nuclear plants such that the applicant can no longer meet the work-hour … Continue reading
Tagged coronavirus, COVID-19, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
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The COVID-19 Impact on Renewable Energy Projects
by Patrick J. Paul The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on a host of industries worldwide and the renewable energy market is not exempt. In the U.S., the renewable market is likely to be impacted by supply chain and … Continue reading
Tagged coronavirus, COVID-19, lenders, renewable energy, tax equity investor
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FERC Adopts Favorable Buckeye XPress Environmental Assessment; Greenhouse Gas Emissions Not A Prohibitive Factor
By Kelly Daly, Farris Gillman, and Fabian Eichentopf On January 23, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) adopted the Office of Environmental Projects’ (OEP) Environmental Assessment (EA) of Buckeye XPress, concluding that the project will have “no significant impact” … Continue reading
Tagged Environmental Assessment, FERC, natural gas, NEPA, pipeline
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