NextEra Energy Capital Holdings, Inc. v. Walker
A district court held that a Texas right-of-first-refusal law giving existing electricity transmission providers in the state a preference to build and operate new lines is constitutional. An energy company argued the Texas law barred it from obtaining a certificate of convenience and necessity for ...
Drewes Farms Partnership v. Toledo, City of
A district court held invalid an amendment to the city of Toledo's charter that gave legal rights to Lake Erie. A local family farm argued the amendment was unconstitutionally vague and thus that it should be invalidated. The court found that the environmental rights of the lake and its watershed to...
Mayor and City Council of Baltimore v. BP P.L.C.
The Fourth Circuit upheld a district court order that remanded to state court the city of Baltimore's climate change case against oil companies. The city alleged it sustained climate change-related injuries, including an increase in sea levels, storms, floods, heatwaves, droughts, and extreme precip...
Maryland v. Federal Aviation Administration
The D.C. Circuit dismissed as untimely Maryland's petition to review the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) approval of new flight paths to Washington National Airport. The state argued the new flight paths, which concentrated aircraft noise over its public lands, should be vacated because th...
Renewable Energy: Corporate Obstacles and Opportunities
In the absence of a national mandate to intensify use of renewable energy, many corporations are increasing their own reliance on renewables. Numerous utilities are likewise transitioning toward wind, thermal, and solar power. But renewable energy continues to face challenges, including battery storage, grid expansion and incorporation of renewables into the grid, initial project costs, and regulatory barriers. How are utilities and energy-consuming companies increasing their renewables portfolios while navigating this terrain?