EnergyRSS

  • September 29, 2008

    Senate OKs $25B Loan For Auto Cos.

    The U.S. Senate has approved legislation that would grant a $25 billion loan to the troubled auto industry to help manufacturers and suppliers update their plants to meet new fuel efficiency standards by 2011.

  • September 29, 2008

    Calif. Vows To Fight As Oil-Drilling Ban Ends

    The 27-year ban on offshore oil drilling off the California coast is set to expire on Wednesday, but staunch and widespread opposition to tapping the state's shoreline could get in the way of companies preparing to explore.

  • September 29, 2008

    Congress Moves To Ban Mercury Exports

    In a move with almost unanimous bipartisan support, the U.S. Congress has approved a bill that would ban the export of elemental mercury starting in 2013.

  • September 29, 2008

    Chevron Looks To Reinstate PetroEcuador Arbitration

    An attorney for Chevron Corp. argued Monday that Ecuador and its state-owned oil company are bound by a 1965 joint operating agreement and therefore liable for cleanup costs in the Amazon Rainforest that could potentially total billions of dollars.

  • September 26, 2008

    Court Speeds Up Amaranth Trader's Appeal

    A federal appeals court on Thursday effectively denied a bid by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to delay a former lead trader at defunct hedge fund Amaranth Advisors LLC's appeal of FERC's jurisdiction in a suit over his alleged manipulation of natural gas futures contract prices.

  • September 26, 2008

    House Passes Renewable Energy, Green Jobs Bill

    In an effort to create “green jobs” and encourage the use of renewable energy, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would earmark $15 billion in tax credits for environmentally friendly energy projects just days after the Senate passed a similar bill.

  • September 26, 2008

    Rural Electricity Sues USDA For Withheld Loans

    East Texas Electric Cooperative Inc. launched a suit Thursday alleging the Sierra Club’s efforts to thwart the development of coal-fired electric plants wrongly prevents the company from receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in loans guaranteed under the Rural Electrification Act.

  • September 25, 2008

    RGGI Carbon Auction Draws Praise, Doubts

    The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a coalition of 10 Northeastern states, held the United States' first carbon auction on Thursday after more than five years of planning, drawing both praise and skepticism from advocates of cap-and-trade climate change policy.

  • September 25, 2008

    Western States Unveil Cap-And-Trade Plan

    The Western Climate Initiative, a joint effort by a group of American states and Canadian provinces, has announced a new cap-and-trade program designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

  • September 25, 2008

    EU Panel Favors Stricter Rules On Car Emissions

    In an upset for car makers, a panel of the European Parliament has shot down a compromise proposal on gradually reducing carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles and instead has backed a stricter European Commission plan to cut emissions.

  • September 25, 2008

    EPA Seeks Rehearing On Interstate Transmission Rule

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking an appellate court to reconsider a decision vacating a rule that addresses the interstate transmission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, which the EPA has found causes health problems in downwind states.

  • September 25, 2008

    Bill To Empower CFTC Inspector General Clears House

    A proposed bill that would give the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's inspector general greater independence and authority to oversee the agency's activities has cleared the U.S. House of Representatives.

  • September 24, 2008

    Judge Overturns Verdict For BP In Pollution Case

    In an upset for BP Corp. North America Inc., a state judge has determined that the oil giant should be liable for cleanup and damages costs incurred by a city in Kansas over groundwater pollution from an oil refinery, after the judge admitted misleading the jury with improper instructions.

  • September 24, 2008

    Judge Denies Class Cert. In Gas Price-Fixing Suit

    A federal judge has denied certification of a multistate class in a suit against gasoline giants Shell Oil Co., BP Corp. North America Inc., Citgo Petroleum Corp., Marathon Oil Co. and Exxon Mobil Corp. over alleged manipulation of the U.S. gasoline market.

  • September 24, 2008

    ExxonMobil MTBE Gas Leak Suit To Go On

    A federal judge has kept alive a case against ExxonMobil Corp. over contamination from an underground storage tank at a gas station in Smithtown, N.Y., but has tossed several claims in the suit.

  • October 2, 2008

    The 5 Hottest Spots For Environmental Attorneys

    The nation might be on a green kick these days, but some regions are proving themselves to be particularly hot when it comes to clean energy technology, climate change initiatives and an array of other forward-looking environmental issues.

  • October 1, 2008

    Exxon, Chevron Top Targets For Environmental Suits

    Exxon Mobil Corp. ranked number one on Law360's list of most-named defendant corporations in environmental lawsuits between 2003 and 2008. Suits against energy companies will likely continue as green groups turn to the courts to tackle a perceived lack of oil industry regulation, attorneys say.

  • September 24, 2008

    EdF To Buy British Energy For $23B: Report

    Electricite de France SA has reportedly agreed to acquire British Energy PLC for $23 billion.

  • September 24, 2008

    DOE Pledges $8B To Guarantee Clean Coal Financing

    The U.S. Department of Energy has announced that it is setting aside $8 billion in federal loan guarantees to support projects at coal-based power generation and industrial gasification facilities that use advanced technologies to avoid or reduce emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

  • September 23, 2008

    Ky. Appeals Court OKs Power Plant Permit

    The Kentucky Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court's decision to revoke a permit for a coal-fired power plant, opening the door to construction of a 1,600 megawatt plant in the western part of the state.