Environmental groups are asking the federal appellate courts to vacate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) recent decision to grant Louisiana primacy over Class VI injection wells.
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Randee V. Iles
Tulane Offshore Wind Conference Highlights Next Steps in GOM Offshore Wind Development
The 2nd Annual Tulane Offshore Wind Conference capped off Louisiana Offshore Wind Week on Friday, January 19th. The conference included panels of offshore wind energy professionals discussing topics including leasing, permitting, financing, and the supply chain for US offshore wind energy.
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United States Court of Appeals Finds BOEM Environmental Impact Statement Deficient, But Declines to Vacate Leases Issued in 2018 Offshore Lease Sales
In a recent opinion released by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the court declined to vacate a deficient environmental impact statement (“EIS”) prepared in connection with two offshore lease sales held in 2018, the records of decision announcing the sales, or the leases issued.
The court stated that…
DOI Identifies Gulf of Mexico Wind Energy Areas
On July 20, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced it is seeking public comments on two draft wind energy areas (WEAs) in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
As illustrated on the map, below, the first WEA, covering 188,023 acres, is located 56 nautical miles off the coast of Lake Charles…
Mitigating Impacts of Offshore Wind: BOEM Draft Guidance Suggests Compensation for Lost Income to Fishermen
On June 23, 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a draft guidance on mitigating potential impacts of offshore wind development on commercial and recreational fishing.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)…
State, Federal Governments Move Toward Wind Energy Leasing in the Gulf of Mexico
Within the first six weeks of 2022, both state and federal governments have taken steps toward offshore wind energy development off the coast of Louisiana.
On February 1, the Climate Initiatives Task Force submitted the Louisiana Climate Action Plan to Governor Edwards. The Plan offers strategies and actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in…
Renewable Energy Efforts Highlighted in Draft Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Louisiana
Governor Edwards’ Climate Initiatives Task Force, charged with making recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions originating in Louisiana, recently took another step towards that goal.
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Louisiana’s Future in Offshore Wind: Takeaways from Louisiana Wind Week
Last week, the Louisiana Governor’s Office hosted Louisiana Wind Week 2021 to assess Louisiana’s future in offshore wind energy development. Louisiana Wind Week followed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)’s first Gulf of Mexico Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting, which was held on June 15.
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Louisiana Climate Initiatives Interim Report Highlights Goals for Developing Actions to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Governor Edwards’ Climate Initiatives Task Force published the Louisiana Climate Initiatives Interim Report earlier this month, which outlines the process by which the Task Force plans to develop climate actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Louisiana.
In February 2020, Governor Edwards committed to forming a Climate Initiatives Task Force for the purpose of developing…
Governor Edwards Indicates that Offshore Wind is on the Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico
Governor John Bel Edwards has identified offshore wind energy as a feature component of his recently announced renewable energy initiative for the Gulf of Mexico. The Governor announced the initiative at the inaugural meeting of his Climate Initiative Task Force.
Continue Reading Governor Edwards Indicates that Offshore Wind is on the Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico