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Flag of California
California / Emissions
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California’s Corporate Climate Disclosure Laws Survive Renewed Preliminary Injunction Attempt

On August 13, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to halt enforcement of SB 253 and SB 261, requiring disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks, respectively.

SB 253 requires business entities — formed under the laws of California, the laws of any other state of the United States or the District of Columbia, or under an act of Congress — with total annual revenues in excess …

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Nuclear plants
Nuclear Power Plants / Regulations
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License to Store: Supreme Court Addresses Judicial Review and Nuclear Policy

On June 18, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6–3 decision in Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, 605 U.S. ___ (2025), authored by Justice Kavanaugh with Justices Gorsuch, Thomas, and Alito dissenting.

The case concerned the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) approval of a 40-year license for Interim Storage Partners (ISP) to store spent nuclear fuel at a private facility in Andrews County, Texas. Texas and Fasken Land and Minerals Ltd. challenged the license, arguing it violated the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) and the …

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Server room at data center
EPA
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EPA Prioritizes Review of New Chemicals Used in Data Center Projects

The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week a new initiative in which the agency will prioritize the review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) intended for use in data center projects pursuant to Executive Order 14318, ‘Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure.’

Under TSCA, manufacturers and processors are required to submit pre-manufacture notices for new chemicals. They are also required to submit a significant new use notice if they plan to use existing chemicals for new uses.

In particular, Section …

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emissions
Climate Change / Emissions
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Another Climate Change State Court Victory for Energy Companies

A South Carolina State Court judge in City of Charleston v. Brabham Oil Company, Inc., et al., dismissed on Aug. 6 an action against nearly two dozen oil and gas companies. The suit, initially filed in 2020, alleged the defendants contributed to harmful climate change and deceived people about the dangers of their fossil fuel products.

In granting the energy companies’ motion to dismiss the City of Charleston case, the state court judge concluded that state tort and consumer deception laws could not be …

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Industrial Factory Emitting Smoke During Golden Sunset
Emissions / EPA
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EPA Proposes to End Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program for Industrial Facilities

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Sept. 12 a proposed rule to end the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) for most industrial facilities.

Under the GHGRP, over 8,000 energy facilities and suppliers are required to calculate and submit their greenhouse gas emissions annually without risk of penalty. If finalized, the proposal would remove reporting obligations for most large energy facilities, including refineries, power plants, oil wells, landfills, and CO2 injection sites.

Congress authorized funding for the creation of the GHGRP in 2008. The EPA, under the …

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smog-in-small-town
Emissions
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District Court Lacks Jurisdiction to Hear Claims of Revoked EPA Climate Grants

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of the Columbia Circuit, in a 2-1 vote on Sept. 2, ruled a lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear a case brought by non-profit groups awarded $20 billion in grants under the prior administration’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Program (GGRFP).

The GGRFP was established as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It The was geared specifically toward low-income communities to fund projects that would lower energy costs and pollution for those …

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EPA Offices, Washington DC
Clean Air Act / EPA
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New EPA Permitting Requirements Expected to Accelerate Power Generation and Reshore Manufacturing Projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week announced new guidance on New Source Review (NSR) preconstruction permitting requirements “to provide much needed clarity for the buildout of essential power generation and reshoring of manufacturing.”

The action, according to the agency, “provides flexibility to begin certain building activities that are not related to air emissions, such as installing cement pads, before obtaining a Clean Air Act (CAA) construction permit.”

The CAA’s NSR program is a preconstruction permitting program that requires certain stationary sources of air pollution …

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Sea and Sky
Regulations
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Jurisdiction at Depth: Updating U.S. Deep-Sea Mining Policy Under Executive Order 14285

With the rapid and exponential advancement of modern technology, there is a corresponding increase in demand for the foundational raw materials that enable such progress. Contemporary innovations, including electric vehicles, smartphones and other high-performance electronics are critically dependent on specific mineral resources such as cobalt, nickel, lithium and copper. These materials serve as indispensable components in batteries, circuitry and other essential systems, underscoring their strategic importance in sustaining technological development. Consequently, securing reliable access to these resources has become a pressing global concern.

Historically, these …

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Model House and Blueprint
California / Legislation
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Could Rollback of Environmental Impact Law Help California Fight Its Housing Crisis?

Earlier this summer, as part of the state’s annual budget deal, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation that alters how the existing California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) would apply to certain housing development projects in the Golden State.

A landmark law signed in 1970 by then-governor Ronald Reagan, the CEQA was intended to reduce environmental harms by requiring public agencies to identify and mitigate potential environmental impacts of the implementation of building activities and governmental policies. Throughout the decades since the CEQA was enacted, a …

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American Flag and Florida Flag between Palm Trees
Florida / NEPA
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U.S. District Court Orders Immediate Closure of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Aug. 21 ordered the federal government to refrain from sending additional detainees to the detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” and to begin transferring detainees to other facilities within 60 days.  

The court further ordered that once all detainees are transferred, the facility must be dismantled, including the removal of all fencing, lighting, and generators. The court sided with tribal and environmental groups, finding that federal officials violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), requiring the government to issue an Environmental Impact Statement (EIA) or to conduct an Environmental Assessment (EA).

The government argued in opposition that a review under …

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