In August of 2020, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued an executive order establishing emission reduction goals of reaching net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, putting the state in line with pledges made under the Paris Agreement, and by the federal government, 25 other states, and hundreds of companies in the private sector.
In support of the Biden administration’s goal of permitting 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) announced that it has been begun preparing its draft environmental assessment to evaluate the potential impacts of offshore wind development in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
The area to be
On December 22, 2021, Taylor Energy Company LLC (“Taylor Energy”), a Louisiana based oil and gas company, and the United States Department of Justice reached a settlement concerning Taylor Energy’s role in the longest running oil spill in United States history. The oil spill began in September 2004 when Hurricane Ivan crossed the northeastern Gulf
On October 28, 2021, the Department of Interior announced three major milestones to advance commercial offshore wind energy development, one of those impacting the Gulf of Mexico.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) will publish a Call for Information and Nominations (“Call”) on November 1, 2021 in the Federal Register. The Call will allow
With increasing optimism regarding offshore wind energy and commercial solar power, renewable energy projects are starting to gain steam with Louisianians. Although utility-scale solar projects are novel in Louisiana, Act 301 (formerly Senate Bill 185) proactively addresses the concerns of taxpayers, landowners, and developers concerning solar leases.
Act 301, which was signed into law by
The United States has become one of the largest and rapidly-expanding wind markets in the world, with the U.S. Energy Department investing in both land and offshore research and development projects in an effort “to advance technology innovations, create job opportunities and boost economic growth.”[i] In the future, the Energy Department predicts that the
Throughout Joe Biden’s campaign, he made clear that climate change, the environment, and “Clean Energy” were going to be anchors of his Presidential platform. What was less clear was how his administration would treat oil and gas beyond the expected counterbalance to the Trump Administration’s regulatory rollbacks – especially with respect to GHG emissions. On
On December 21, 2020 Congress passed the lengthiest piece of legislation in its history—nearly 5600 pages. While most Americans are focused on the provisions of the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021” related to coronavirus response and recovery, it also included provisions that will directly impact pipeline operators.
The “Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing
The recent OPEC/COVID-19-related drop in energy prices may soon set off a tidal wave of energy-related bankruptcies. Funding for exploration and production (“E&P”) companies is much harder to find, and much more expensive, than it was just a few weeks ago. Reserve reports that might have been at “concern” status at year end will be
On January 9, 2018, a split panel of the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an order from the district court, denying a motion to remand a matter removed under the Class Action Fairness Act (“CAFA”). The 2-1 decision In Warren Lester, et. al. v. Exxon Mobil Corp., et. al., No. 14-31383,