Protect Our Communities Foundation v. Salazar
A district court dismissed a complaint challenging DOI's approval of the Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility Project, a utility-scale wind power project in the Sonoran Desert in Imperial County, California, under NEPA and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). The purpose and need statement set forth in BL...
Association of Public Agency Customers v. Bonneville Power Administration
The Ninth Circuit approved a settlement agreement between the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and a large number of its energy customers that sets terms for refunding customers who were previously overcharged as well as new rate terms for the next 17 years. BPA argued that the plaintiff—a gr...
Northern Laramie Range Alliance v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Tenth Circuit held that landowners lacked standing to challenge two wind energy projects in Wyoming. FERC certified the projects under the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act, which seeks to promote renewable energy sources by requiring utilities to buy power from small facilities that meet...