Sonda v. West Virginia Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
The Fourth Circuit reversed a district court order abstaining from ruling on constitutional claims brought by mineral interest owners challenging amendments to West Virginia's oil and gas conservation law. Plaintiffs argued the amendments, which for the first time authorized "unitization of interest...
Accelerating Clean Energy: A Road Map for Regulatory Reform
This Article analyzes domestic hurdles to renewable energy development, and explores effective regulatory strategies at both the national and state levels to overcome barriers to clean energy transition. Projections indicate that the United States will need to triple its transmission grid capacity by 2050 to achieve decarbonization at the scale promised under the Paris Agreement. The transition faces major obstacles in permitting and siting, with limited transmission access and complex processes effectively obstructing the transition.
Animal Legal Defense Fund v. Reynolds
The Eighth Circuit reversed a district court ruling in a challenge to Iowa's "ag gag" law that criminalizes undercover investigations at agricultural production facilities. Initially, the law prohibited the facilities from being accessed under false pretenses as well as prohibited false statements o...
Louisiana v. United States Department of Energy
The Fifth Circuit granted several states' petition to review DOE's 2022 rule repealing two 2020 rules concerning efficiency standards for dishwashers and washing machines. The states argued the repeal rule, which deleted the appliance categories for shorter-duration dishwashers and washing machines ...