The scheme’s expansion to include the steel, cement, and aluminum smelting industries increases the program’s coverage to 60% of China’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
By Paul A. Davies, JP Brisson, Michael Green, and Qingyi Pan
On March 26, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (the MEE) published the “Work Plan for the National Carbon Emissions Trading Market Covering the Steel, Cement, and Aluminum Smelting Industries” (the Work Plan).1 The Work Plan expands the scope of
The president’s actions aim to bolster coal production and exports and coal-fired power generation, highlighting the importance of coal to US economic and national security.
By Karl Karg, Devin M. O’Connor, Stacey VanBelleghem, and Bisi Ogunmefun
On April 8, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order (Order) to boost coal production and exports, following other White House actions designed to spur domestic energy production and power generation. This latest Order emphasizes the economic and national security importance
The order aims to coordinate government efforts to fast-track permitting and accelerate funding to enhance critical minerals value chains from the mine to finished products.
By Nikki Buffa, Devin M. O’Connor, and Austin J. Pierce
On March 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production” (the Order). The Order, which we noted in our blog post Week 9 in Review, represents another step by the Trump administration to expand
President Trump’s orders, which include withdrawing from international climate agreements and declaring an energy emergency, emphasize domestic production and regulatory reform.
By Nikki Buffa, Devin O’Connor, Janice Schneider, Stacey VanBelleghem, and Brian McCall
On the first day of his second term in office, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders and memoranda that signal a significant shift in US energy and environmental policy. These actions aim to reshape the regulatory landscape, prioritize domestic conventional
Finch v. Surrey calls for assessment of all likely direct and indirect environmental effects in EIAs, including certain Scope 3 emissions if a reasonable estimate is feasible.
By Paul A. Davies, Michael D. Green, Stephanie Forrest, and James Bee
On 20 June 2024, the UK Supreme Court (the Court) in Finch v. Surrey CC [2024] UKSC 20 considered whether certain downstream emissions fell within the scope of direct or indirect environmental effects for the purposes of an
EPA will regulate legacy CCR surface impoundments and CCR Management Units for the first time.
By Stacey L. VanBelleghem, Karl A. Karg, Phil Sandick, Jacqueline Zhang, Bruce Johnson, and Samuel Wallace-Perdomo
On April 25, 2024, EPA released its Final Rule to extend certain requirements governing the disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) in inactive surface impoundments at inactive power plants (referred to as “legacy CCR surface impoundments” or “legacy ponds”) and CCR Management Units (CCRMU), a
EPA’s action finalizes aggressive emission reduction targets for certain subcategories of fossil fuel-fired power plants, based on implementation of carbon capture and sequestration.
By Stacey L. VanBelleghem, Karl A. Karg, and Phil Sandick
On April 25, 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final rule (the Power Plant GHG Rule or the Final Rule) to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electric generating units (EGUs) at power plants under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act
We discuss key regulatory trends and strategies to consider when pursing US transmission and interconnection opportunities.
By Tyler Brown, Marc T. Campopiano, and Jennifer K. Roy
Renewable energy production has grown at an exponential clip over the past decade, with continued strong expansion expected because of declining costs, numerous governmental incentives, and long-term decarbonization policies. This trend has driven a tremendous demand for new transmission infrastructure in the US and globally, yet new transmission lines often take years to develop due to regulatory hurdles and litigation challenges.
An unprecedented investment in transmission will be needed over upcoming decades to keep pace with demand and meet decarbonization goals. Companies and investors will need to factor into their strategies these key regulatory trends when pursuing US and global transmission and generator interconnection opportunities.
The US Department of Energy has committed $1 billion to support clean hydrogen offtakers to kickstart the hydrogen economy.
By Joshua T. Bledsoe and Kevin A. Homrighausen
On July 5, 2023, the US Department of Energy (DOE) released a Notice of Intent (NOI) to invest up to $1 billion in a mechanism to develop reliable demand for hydrogen at DOE-funded Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs). DOE hopes this mechanism will help a diverse range of entities leverage the full potential of clean hydrogen and facilitate the use of clean hydrogen across a variety of economic sectors.
The move represents a step forward for the small modular nuclear reactor industry, but legislative uncertainty over new nuclear facilities in the US remains.
By Marc Campopiano, Lucas Quass, and Shawna Strecker
As part of long-range plans to address climate change, many states have adopted policies to spur the transition to a low-carbon future. Renewable sources like solar, wind, and geothermal energy have garnered considerable attention, but nuclear power is the largest domestic source of carbon-free power. Nuclear power plants have supplied about 20% of total annual US electricity since 1990.[1] Yet, even as the US and many states seek to decarbonize their energy sectors, nuclear reactors in the US are being decommissioned because of age, and new nuclear facilities often face public opposition.