Energy

Email Updates Blogs
… no matter how much they want to. Many planned community and condominium declarations have a confession of judgment paragraph.  These are usually towards the back and written in all caps (just like my father-in-law sending an email).  They seem to permit associations to bypass all of the demand letters and District Justice courtrooms, and just enter a judgment against the Unit Owner.  But what looks good on paper doesn’t always work in practice.  Pennsylvania…
On Dec. 11, 2018, EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Agencies) released a proposal to revise the regulatory definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS), as found in the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The proposal represents another chapter in the long-running debate over the scope of federal authority. The CWA gives the Agencies broad authority to regulate WOTUS – but does not define that term. The Agencies have adopted numerous definitions…
On December 3, 2018, FERC accepted ISO New England Inc.’s (“ISO-NE”) proposed temporary revisions to its Transmission, Markets and Services Tariff (“Tariff”) designed to address fuel security by a 2-1 vote.  Among other things, the order enables ISO-NE to enter into cost-of service agreements with certain retiring generators that are deemed necessary for regional fuel security and reliability.  Commissioner McIntyre did not participate and Commissioner Glick issued a separate concurring opinion.  Of particular note was…
On December 6, 2018, the United States Senate confirmed Bernard L. McNamee as a FERC Commissioner.  President Donald Trump nominated McNamee to fill the vacancy left by Commissioner Robert Powelson following Powelson’s August 2018 resignation from FERC to become president and CEO of the National Association of Water Companies (see October 9, 2018 edition of the WER).  McNamee was sworn in on December 11, 2018, returning FERC to its full five-member complement.…
As commercial real property owners in Florida are likely aware, the Sunshine State imposes its sales tax on rental payments for the lease of real property. The general 6 percent state-level tax was reduced to 5.8 percent for 2018. The legislature passed a law to further reduce the state-level rate to 5.7 percent for occupancy periods beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2019. There is no reduction in the local option surtax that many Florida…
On December 3, 2018, FERC largely rejected a complaint filed by Monterey MA, LLC (“Monterey”) alleging that PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (“PJM”) improperly adjusted prices after two transmission line outage events for unauthorized reasons, and without proper notice and documentation in violation of PJM’s Tariff.  Monterey requested that FERC reinstate original prices and that changes be made to the Tariff relating to price revisions so that re-pricing events are more transparent for market participants.  FERC mostly…
California Air Resources Board lifts freeze on Low Carbon Fuel Standard. By Joshua T. Bledsoe and Kimberly D. Farbota On December 7, 2018, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued Regulatory Guidance Document 18-02 which lifts the freeze on Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) diesel and diesel substitute targets previously enacted by CARB in 2017 in connection with the POET I case. The Guidance becomes effective January 1, 2019 at which point the applicable diesel…
river
Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved S. 245, the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2017 (the Bill), which is designed to allow Native American tribes to take greater control over energy development on their lands and to reduce the amount of governmental red tape. The Bill, which was passed by the Senate in November 2017, directs the Department of Interior to provide tribes with technical assistance in planning…