In response to multiple requests from stakeholders and interested parties during the third Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management agreed to extend the public comment periods for the two potential wind energy areas (WEAs) and the draft Environmental Assessment (EA). Both 30-day comment periods
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held its third Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting on July 27, 2022 (3rd Meeting). The first two meetings were held on June 15, 2021, and February 2, 2022, respectively. The primary purpose of this meeting was to present the preliminary
Last week, the U.S. Department of the Interior released its proposed Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) five-year program for offshore oil and gas leasing. The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) requires the Secretary of the Department of the Interior to “prepare and periodically revise and maintain an oil and gas leasing program” (i.e., a five-year
On June 23, 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a draft guidance on mitigating potential impacts of offshore wind development on commercial and recreational fishing. The final guidance document will set forth required information that lessees must submit to BOEM at each stage of a wind project, i.e., Site Assessment Plan (SAP)
The carbon credit market continues to evolve as oil and gas companies face increasingly stringent regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Operators may now have the potential to sell carbon credits in exchange for the P&A of inactive, shut-in, or temporarily abandoned wells.
The EPA estimates that there are over 3 million known abandoned and
In response to various pressures on the energy industry to reduce the environmental impact associated with excess carbon dioxide emissions, many energy companies are investigating carbon capture and sequestration projects as a means of reducing their carbon emissions. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, carbon capture and sequestration projects often qualify for valuable income tax
The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed – by a 3-1 vote – a comprehensive new set of rules (the “proposals”) in an effort to enhance and standardize the climate-related disclosures provided by public companies.[1] According to SEC Chair Gary Gensler, the proposals come in the wake of increasing investor demand for more
Recent developments in the challenge to an executive order from the Biden Administration in Louisiana v. Biden suggest that the “major questions” doctrine may begin to play a large role in the future of environmental law and regulations. While the existence of this doctrine is nothing new, its relevance in the realm of environmental law
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects involve various legal issues. Like traditional exploration and development, CCUS projects require the operator to secure both the necessary private property rights from landowners as well as regulatory approval from the appropriate administrative agency in order to proceed. This article focuses on the latter.
Regulatory approval for CCUS
On February 11, 2022, the Biden Administration’s climate change agenda sustained a major blow as Judge James D. Cain of the Western District of Louisiana enjoined a Biden administration executive order that charged federal agencies with considering the “social cost of carbon” in their decision making. The injunction could have far reaching impacts on the